Chennai: At a time when a few political parties are clamouring for a political realignment in Tamil Nadu, the state unit of the BJP here has set into motion a novel initiative to capture the hearts of the women electorate.
The saffron party hopes to garner the support of the women voters by taking the social security schemes of the Narandra Modi government to their doorsteps. Usually the schemes that captivate the women’s hearts have caused a terrific impact on the poll outcome in the past and this was demonstrated by the major Dravidian parties that have ruled the state.
If the DMK’s free colour TVs helped it return to power, the AIADMK's free mixers, grinders and free laptops to students besides AIADMK supremo Ms J. Jayalalithaa’s numerous social welfare measures made her party emerge victorious during the previous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
As the polls on political turf are fought on the social welfare plank, the BJP hopes to cash in on the trend and catapult itself to power through the distribution of health and accident insurance policies free to women. The party has commenced the process of sponsoring the accident and health insurance policies for the poor women on Raksha Bandan day and intends to cover the entire women electorate in the state.
“We are getting geared up to face the election any time. We are set to commence a massive training programme for our party workers at Perambalur for two days on Aug. 31 and Sept.1, as part of a plan to strengthen the party at grassroot level,” Dr Tamilisai Soundrarajan, BJP state president, said. She has directed her office bearers to identify and distribute the policies to atleast 11,000 women in each Assembly constituency in TN.
“Our party is not wary of the People's Welfare Front backed by the Left parties (in which CPI (M), CPI, MDMK, VCK and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi are constituents). They have negligible percentage of vote share. They could hardly make any ripples,” says M. Chakravarthy, BJP state vice president.
“The Rakhi gifts viz. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (accident insurance), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana (life insurance) and Atal Pension Yojana) will continue till all the women are covered. We will buy three types of cheques worth Rs 201, Rs351 and Rs5,001 to our sisters, giving them the benefits of the social security schemes,” says Vanathi Srinivasan, state vice president.
