Piyush Goyal In Tamil Nadu Ahead Of Modi

Chennai: The arrival of Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, on Saturday in Madurai, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the temple city scheduled for Sunday, is aimed at strengthening the NDA in the State that is in doldrums after some of the partners were playing truant over seat sharing.

Landing at the airport, the minister who is BJP’s election in charge for Tamil Nadu, launched a scathing attack on the DMK, accusing it of corruption and betraying the legacy of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. He also criticized former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam for defecting to the DMK.

Goyal is expected to have discussions with former State Minister S P Velumani and also AMMK founder T T V Dinkaran during the present visit as his main task was to finalise the seat allocation for the partners of the NDA.

Apart from the AIADMK, the prime ally of the BJP in the State, seats have to be allocated to parties like the PMK led by Anbumani Ramadoss that had been reportedly promised 17 seats, the AMMK and the IJK, led by T R Paarivendhar.

The Union Minister is also expected to do a recce of the spots where Modi would be there on Sunday like Tiruparankundam, besides holding negotiations on seat-sharing.

It is learnt that the BJP has sought about 30 seats from the AIADMK, the leader of the coalition in Tamil Nadu, and wanted them to be located in places having religious significance.

If Goyal was unable to finalise the seat-sharing with the disparate allies, the BJP would engage Union Home Minister Amit Shah to do the talking with the partners, it is said.

Modi is also addressing a meeting of NDA leaders at Madurai on Sunday in the afternoon , besides visiting Puducherry to inaugurate and lay the foundation for projects worth Rs 2,700 crore.

He is also laying the foundation and launching projects worth Rs 4,400 crore in Madurai before going to the Subramaniaswamy temple at Thiruparankundram to perform darshan and pooja.