Amid reports of strain in ties, BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Tamizhisai Soundararajan today met DMDK founder Vijayakant and said the BJP-led NDA will contest the February 13 Srirangam bypoll and its candidate would be announced in next two days.

Talking to reporters outside the DMDK office here, Soundararajan said she met the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam founder and continued to have the ally’s support in the alliance.

Replying to a query, she said, “the candidate on behalf of the alliance would be announced in the next two days. We have decided on the support... only the candidate is to be finalised.”

Responding to another ally Paattali Makkal Katchi’s decision to neither contest nor support any party in the bypoll, the state BJP chief said people’s support was with the NDA.

Earlier last month, the Vaiko-led MDMK had walked out of the NDA alliance alleging that the BJP government at the Centre was acting against Tamils and had betrayed the people of the state.

A section of the media had earlier reported that the relations between BJP and DMDK were strained as BJP president Amit Shah and Vijayakant did not get to meet despite the two attending the same wedding almost at the same time recently.

The bypoll in Srirangam is necessitated by the disqualification of AIADMK chief and former chief minister Jayalalithaa following her conviction in a Disproportionate Assets case in September last.

AIADMK and DMK have fielded Valarmathi and N Anand respectively as their candidates for the bypoll.

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