From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: "National Democratic Alliance" (NDA) is the name of
the outfit under whose banner the BJP and allies will contest
the Lok Sabha mid-term poll and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi formally joined it as
one of is partners.

Not roped in, however, is the Telugu Desam Party of Andhra
Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who appears still
weighing the hard choice between going alone or becoming part of
the grand alliance which may or may not succeed in elections.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) of Om Prakash Chautala, who
had briefly parted company with the BJP, as well as its rival
Haryana Vikas Party of Chief Minister Bansi Lal are also part of
the alliance which goes to poll on a common manifesto and under
the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The common manifesto will be formally announced after a meeting
of the alliance partners convened here on June 9 and 10. A
4-member committee headed by Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani
was constituted on Saturday to draft the manifesto.

The same importance that AIADMK of Jayalalitha enjoyed in the
BJP combine is now bestowed upon DMK by inviting its leader
Murasoli Maran to be on the committee that will draft the
manifesto based on the "National Agenda for Governance" (NAG) of
the Vajpayee Government.

The decision not to contest as candidates of separate parties
but as candidates of a single front called NDA was taken at a
meeting of the coordination committee held at the residence of
the Prime Minister Saturday morning. The meeting also decided to
have separate offices of the alliance, both in Delhi and at the
state headqurters.

Coordination Committee convener George Fernandes, who henceforth
becomes convener of the new alliance, is one of the members of
the manifesto drafting committee besides Maran and External
Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, while Advani is empowerd to
induct more if necessary. END.
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