Chennai: They traded barbs during the general election, but now, as they both bask in huge victories, it is time for bonhomie again between Narendra Modi and J Jayalalithaa.
Mr Modi, prime minster-to-be, called up the Tamil Nadu chief minister yesterday and greeted her on her winning 37 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in her state.
He thanked Ms Jayalalithaa for her letter on Friday congratulating him for his party's "magnificent win" in the elections and also assured her of his government's "absolute cooperation" with Tamil Nadu.
"Selvi (Ms) J Jayalalithaa, wished him a very successful tenure as Prime Minister of India. The Hon'ble Prime Minister-designate assured the Hon'ble Chief Minister that there will be absolute cooperation between the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu," a state government release said.
BJP president Rajnath Singh too called up Ms Jayalalithaa and wished her for the AIADMK's "grand win".
All speculation on whether Ms Jayalalithaa would offer support to Mr Modi to form government at the Centre was put to rest on Friday with his BJP getting 282 seats, enough to form government on its own. Along with its pre-election allies in the NDA, the party has 336 seats.
But Ms Jayalalithaa's AIADMK will be the third largest party in the Lok Sabha. It has in fact only seven seats less than the Congress' 44.
The BJP also needs all the goodwill and support it can garner to push legislation through the Upper House or Rajya Sabha, where it does not enjoy the same brute strength.
