'More parties welcome'

Parties wanting to do "non-Congress politics" can join NDA, Arun Jaitley said.

Not wanting to close its options in the event of a hung Parliament, BJP on Sunday said those wanting to do non-Congress politics were welcome to join the NDA.

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"We are nucleus of non-Congress politics and those who want to be part of it were welcome to join the NDA," Law Minister Arun Jaitely told reporters adding "I don't think we need to have new allies after the elections."

The minister even sought to drive a wedge between the Congress and the DMK by demanding an explanation from the Congress on its alliance with the DMK, a party which it had accused of having links with the LTTE.

Jaitley also pointed out that the Congress had in its manifesto for the 1998 Lok Sabha polls said that this was an issue that cannot be ignored and wished away.

"It affects the Congress to its very core," he said.

The Minister said that the Congress must explain as to how after holding a high moral ground in its 1998 election manifesto about the DMK and its links with the LTTE which it held responsible for the assassination of its leader and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had the party compromised on it.

Quoting profusely from the Congress manifesto, he said the party owed an explanation to the nation on its volte face about the DMK.