BJP show in Lok Sabha polls boosts Vanathi’s confidence in Kovai

The 2014 Lok Sabha election is a testimony to our growing voter base in Coimbatore. In a few assembly segments, AIADMK ended up behind the BJP. Since most of the youngsters are taken into confidence by the efficient governance of Modi, I am also leveraging on it. Public mood is evident and what people are looking for is an easily approachable politician to represent their problems. 

These campaigns have given me a chance to interact with them as one among them and what I discovered in the process was that they too are looking for a change. Wherever I go for electioneering I am getting an overwhelming response from the public, especially women and youngsters.

What is the response to the exclusive BJP manifesto for Coimbatore South you released recently? 

It has already caught the attention of the youth, especially the promise of setting up an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and National Law School in Coimbatore. Some question the practicality of such promises as it’s a central subject, but as a BJP representative I am confident that I can bring this long pending demand to the notice of the central government and get it done. I have also promised to take the benefits of central government welfare schemes to all the members of the society.

It is a myth created by the Dravidian parties that only the party in power can implement welfare schemes. I am not an MLA or MP now, but as an individual I have included thousands of people as beneficiaries of many welfare schemes. More than 1,000 have been benefited from Prime Minister’s Insurance and pension schemes among others. People are gradually getting to know about this fact through our door-to-door campaigns.

In my campaigns I have personally noticed a visible change in the minorities’ response to BJP. They were indifferent to us earlier, but now the situation has changed. Women and youngsters in minorities-dominated areas are forthcoming. Women reach out to me to represent their issues and youngsters are keen on talking about employment generation. Minorities have understood that they have been used by Dravidian parties and Congress as mere vote bank. In fact, in 2014 Congress miserably failed to propagate the idea of ‘insecurity to minorities’.

AIADMK’s money power is the sole challenge. Our rigorous campaign has educated the Coimbatore electorate that most of the infrastructure development schemes implemented in the city are central government sponsored. So AIADMK can’t boast of any achievements and moreover people are also aware of the criminal background of the AIADMK candidate. As a result, the candidate factor is also favourable to me this time. I don’t really see any opposition from Congress, which has fielded a novice and not to mention CPM.