Regional Players not Yet Ready To Join Modi Bandwagon

NEW DELHI – BJP’s emphaticwin over Congress in threestates may have enhancedNarendra Modi’s prime ministerialcredentials but regionalparties remain cautious aboutteaming up with the saffronstar before the Lok Sabha polls.Though the “Modi effect” inthe three states as well as Delhi- where elections yielded ahung assembly – is being hotlydebated, leaders from regionalparties are ready to concedethat his campaign did benefitthe BJP.Many non-UPA leaders andMPs in the capital to attendParliament felt the Gujaratchief minister might haveboosted BJP totals in MadhyaPradesh and Chhattisgarh,while rescuing the party frombeing humbled by AAP inDelhi.However, leaders from partieslike AIADMK and BJD – formerBJP allies — do not seemuch possibility of allying withBJP ahead of the 2014 nationalelection as they feel there is stillno certainty of BJP displacingCongress from the centre.Regional parties do not seemerit in burning their boatswith other alliances by hitchingtheir fortunes with Modibefore the next Lok Sabharesults even though they feelthat the saffron strongman isdefinitely gaining traction.