Heavyweights to bolster BJP poll work in Tamil Nadu

“PM Modi will address poll rallies in Coimbatore and Chennai on February 10 and 19. He will also take part in the event at Madurai on Sunday, where he is scheduled to inaugurate the AIIMS Hospital,” BJP state general secretary K T Raghavan told DT Next.

With the party mobilising workers from neighbouring districts for the mega rally in Madurai, he said Modi’s speech will set the pace for the poll preparatory work.

The BJP also plans to hold video conferences in more than 600 places on February 2, when party workers will discuss poll-related works with the PM. The functionaries have also planned campaign rallies of other BJP leaders, Raghavan said.

“There may be minor changes in the schedule and venue, but the arrival of BJP leaders in TN is confirmed. All steps are being taken to make the Lok Sabha campaign a success,” Raghavan said.

When asked if there was any meeting scheduled between the BJP and the AIADMK leaders, the BJP functionary denied any such development as of now.

According to sources in the BJP headquarters, the arrival of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who was earlier scheduled to visit TN by the month end, has been delayed due to the additional workload in finance ministry and budget related works. 

Goyal, who has been assigned to assist the TN BJP unit, will visit the state after tabling the union budget.

“Irrespective of whether we are going alone in TN or forming an alliance, the campaign schedule will be intensified this time,” an informed BJP leader said, adding that the party is working towards the formation of an alliance.

 “The BJP will dispatch its star campaigners, celebrities and popular actors from north India after the alliance is formed,” he said.'

“Tamil Nadu with 39 seats is the largest state in South India and cannot be ignored by any national party. Even if we go alone in TN, the leaders will descend on the State.”

“The Centre has given enormous funds to support the free gas connection, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and Swachh Bharat mission. 

All these schemes and a corruption-free government will be a major poll plank for us in TN,” BJP sources added.