BJP to field candidate in Sathankulam, TN

Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit, on Saturday, decided to field a candidate for the ensuing by-elections in Sathankulam, subject to the party high command's approval.

Unit chief Dr S P Kripanidhi and general secretary H Raja briefed reporters in Tiruchirappalli after the party's state election committee meeting, that a final decision on whether to go it alone or enter into a tie up with other parties would be decided by the national level election committee.

The committee is slated to meet later this month to take stock of issues pertaining to polls in other states.

Kripanidhi said that the BJP was, however, soliciting support from the National Democratic Alliance partners since the Congress had decided to field a candidate.

He said the BJP could field a candidate on the recommendations of a three-member panel, which had opined that the party had a sound base in the state.

The decision comes in the wake of the visit of the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Vijay Goel, on Friday with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai.