The BJP may have announced its decision to contest the Sattankulam assembly by-election in Tamil Nadu, but its allies have not been forthcoming with their support, possibly to make a point with the party's central leadership.

The DMK and MDMK are important constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, but are no longer regarded as allies in the state as the BJP's state unit sounds very much like an ally of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

Naturally, this has not gone well with the other constituents of the NDA, who have so far been ununsuccessful in impressing upon the BJP's central leadership the need to rein in its state leadership.

This by-election may be their best chance yet. Both parties have announced that they will leave the seat for the BJP, which contested the seat during the last assembly poll in May 2001.

The catch is that the BJP cannot hope to put up a fight against the AIADMK on its own. At best, it can hope for the third place. The Congress is the other contestant.

The by-election was necessitated by the death of Mani Nadar of Tamil Maanila Congress, which has now merged with the Congress. Both parties were allies of the AIADMK during the May 2001 elections, but since then relations have soured considerably.

By staying away from the contest, the DMK may appear to be holding out an olive branch to the state BJP leadership, but is actually denying the BJP an opportunity to withdraw from the fray.

Contesting the poll would put state BJP leaders in a rather awkward position as at times, they had gone so far as to praise Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The party's campaign in this by-election campaign is likely to come for severe scrutiny with the DMK in particular keen on 'exposing' the state BJP leaders before the party's national leadership, which is favourably inclined towards the DMK and the MDMK.

If no one else, the two parties expect at least Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to take their complaints against the state BJP leadership seriously.

Last week, the prime minister's envoy Minister of State in the PMO Vijay Goel called on Karunanidhi, ostensibly to discuss the health of ailing Union Commerce and Industry Minister Murasoli Maran.

Karunanidhi briefed Goel on the 'past deeds' of the state BJP leaders, buttressing his arguments with newspaper clippings.

He is believed to have told Goel about state BJP general secretary H Raja welcoming the AIADMK general council's resolution seeking Karunanidhi's arrest for making 'anti-Hindu' speeches.

He is also believed to have referred to BJP national secretary L Ganesan's alleged disclosure that his party stayed away from the Vanniyambadi assembly by-election last year to facilitate the election of AIADMK's 'Hindu' nominee.

DMK leaders believe that the prime minister now has a better understanding of the 'games being played' by certain state BJP leaders to favour the AIADMK.

This is possibly the first time after the DMK first came to power in 1967 that it is neither contesting a by-election nor supporting an ally.

While the DMK's pique with the BJP's state leadership is well-known, the MDMK has its own grouse.

It believes that the central government has not done enough for party general secretary Vaiko, who has been detained by the state government under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for over six months now.

Relations between erstwhile rivals DMK and MDMK began improving after Karunanidhi called on Vaiko in the Vellore prison some weeks ago.