CHENNAI: The Centre-ruling BJP is reworking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed Tamil Nadu visit next week, with the venue of his public meeting likely to be shifted from Madurai to the Chennai suburbs amid reservations expressed by alliance partner AIADMK over the optics of a politically charged event at Tiruparankundram.
According to senior BJP leaders, the original plan was for the Prime Minister to visit the Tiruparankundram hill shrine near Madurai and address a joint NDA rally, turning the spotlight on the ongoing Deepathoon controversy that has pitted the ruling DMK against right-wing groups, including the BJP. However, the proposal did not sit well with the AIADMK leadership, which was wary of sharing a stage with Modi at a venue closely linked to a sensitive religious dispute.
"The allies, including the AIADMK, were hesitant to accommodate the Prime Minister's Tiruparankundram visit and to be part of a rally where the DMK would be attacked over the issue," a senior BJP leader told DT Next.
Another BJP leader said Chennai offered a practical alternative. "If it is Chennai, there will be no constraints on crowd size, and it will be easier for all alliance partners to attend.
The idea is to project unity ahead of a crucial phase of alliance talks," the leader said.
The Prime Minister is tentatively scheduled to visit the State on January 23, though the final itinerary is yet to be cleared.
A meeting at Kamalalayam, the BJP's State headquarters, on Tuesday is expected to firm up the venue and programme.
The shift in venue also reflects the delicate balancing act within the NDA in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP is keen to keep the Tiruparankundram issue alive as part of its narrative against the DMK, while the AIADMK prefers to avoid being drawn into a polarising religious debate.
Notably, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran is scheduled to leave for New Delhi on Tuesday evening to attend a Pongal event hosted by Union Minister L Murugan's residence in the national capital, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part and to brief senior leaders on the progress of talks with potential allies.