India political alliance

A major regional party in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has announced that it's forming an alliance with the Hindu nationalist BJP Bharatiya Janata Party to fight the general election due early next year.

The party, the AIADMK, has been allied with the Congress Party, and correspondents say its decision to join forces with the BJP is a blow to Congress.

There are 40 parliamentary seats at stake in Tamil Nadu.

The AIADMK is led by a former chief minister, Jayalalitha, who is under investigation on allegations of corruption.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service