BJP gets busy to expand voters base

“BJP state unit will launch a drive to add 10 lakh party members in the next 100 days. The membership drive will commence on January 14 and will go on in full scale before the commencement of Assembly elections,” said BJP state president L Murugan, at ‘Namma Ooru Pongal’ function, organised in Sivaganga.

The BJP with 3.66 per cent vote share in Tamil Nadu, in the previous Lok Sabha elections in 2019, is desperate to increase its vote base in Assembly elections 2021. The first plan is celebrating ‘Namma Ooru Pongal’ across the state. The celebration commenced in Madurai and southern districts on Saturday and it reached Chennai on Sunday as ‘Namma Ooru Pongal’ was celebrated in Mylapore. All party leaders are instructed to participate in the ‘Namma Ooru Pongal’ celebrations.

Murugan said that the BJP is also trying to strengthen its presence in the polling booths. “From January 18 to 25 special attention will be paid to all the polling booths as minimum of 25 persons will be added for every polling booth in the state.” Murugan further said that the process of preparation of election manifesto is underway and for this election, the manifesto will reflect the sentiments of public in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Khushbu, while addressing reporters in Thanjavur, said that she was ready to contest against DMK president MK Stalin. “I am ready to contest. Let him (Stalin) decide whether he is contesting in Kolathur,” said Khushbu, who also added that she is not sure whether she will be given the go ahead to contest in the elections.

Meanwhile, in Madurai tension mounted at Tirupalai when BJP cadre welcomed the convoy of its state president L Murugan by beating durms near a mosque.

R Shiva Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Madurai City (Law and Order), said some of the Muslims nearby the mosque got infuriated over the drum beats and asked them to stop. Discontent brew as the BJP workers refused. In the melee a few slippers and stones were allegedly thrown at the mosque. However, police pacified the groups immediately.