Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the star campaigner of the BJP will address election rallies in Tamil Nadu in the first week of May, according to Tamilissai Sounderarajan, president, Tamil Nadu BJP. Speaking to reporters at Chennai on Monday, the State BJP chief said all top leaders of the BJP would campaign in Tamil Nadu in the coming days. A senior BJP leader in Tamil Nadu, SV Sekhar had requested Prime Minister Modi and party chief Amit Shah not to campaign in Tamil Nadu as the party was facing infighting and groupism.
“The BJP is getting stronger by the day and people in Tamil Nadu want it to rule the State,” said Sounderarajan who is contesting the election from Virugambakkam, a Chennai suburb.
The party’s propaganda will begin on Wednesday from Tiruchirappallai with party chief Amit Shah launching the State-wide campaign. The BJP is yet to announce the full list of candidates as well as details about the alliance partners. Though Soundararajan had announced that the details about allies would be announced by the last week of March, the announcement continues to be elusive. “We have completed talks with our alliance partners. Identification of constituencies is on. An announcement about the alliance partners and constituencies would be made at the appropriate time,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Manila Congress rebels who oppose the party’s decision to align with the PWF has started their way back to the Congress, the parent body. On Monday former TMC MlA Vellore Munirathnam and his followers went to TNCC headquarters where they were received by party chief EVKS Elangovan.
Prominent TMC leaders like S R Balasubramanian and Peter Alphonse would join the Congress in the coming days, according to a senior TNCC functionary. Both the DMDK and the TMC are facing revolt and disintegration following the move by the respective leadership to align with the PWF.
Tamilissai sounderarajan said the DMDK chief would not have faced this situation had he opted for an alliance with the BJP. “It looks like it is not advisable for any party to align with the PWF,” she said.