BJP takes campaign closer to people

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP has launched a padayatra, its slogan being Veed­uth­orum Modi, Ullam­thorum Thamarai (Modi in every household and lotus in every heart). Aimed at covering about 12,618 village panchayats, this is the party’s strategy to get closer to the people, particularly the rural voters, in the state, thereby strengthening BJP prime ministerial candidate Nare­ndra Modi’s reach, and having the lotus ‘bloom’ further and wider.

The campaign, highlighting Mr Modi’s achievements, Congress’ misrule, need for regime change at the Centre, besides popularising the symbol of the lotus, will see BJP leaders and cadres interacting with rural voters over the next 22 days.

Leaders and party members taking up this campaign will make it a point to share meals with a Dalit family in each village. This is being viewed as the biggest exercise ever by the BJP to slough off its image of being a party dominated by upper castes.

“Sharing meals with Dalit families will instill a sense of confidence among them that we are with them in ensuring their rights,” a senior leader said, hastily adding that the saffron pa­rty members would also meet agriculturalists, farm labourers, fishermen and all sections of people during the padayatra.

“This is part our election strategy to woo voters,” another leader said, adding that the padayatra would enable them to assess the problems and needs of the people besides explaining the necessity for a regime change at the Centre. During door-to-door campaigning, the party workers will affix a sticker of the party’s lotus symbol on each house and obtain the phone numbers of those whom they meet.

Party national executive member L. Ganesan who launched the campaign at Medavakkam here on Sunday took potshots at Union finance minister P. Chidambaram, saying that while he was delivering ‘lectures’, Modi was busy providing good governance and development to people in Gujarat.

Party president Pon Radhakrishnan, who laun­ched his campaign from Karuppayurani in Mad­ur­ai, claimed that the alliance strategy could be chalked out during Mr Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu in January.