CHENNAI: With just days left for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Coimbatore, the Manchester of South India, that is one of the areas of strength for the saffron party in Dravidian Tamil Nadu, the local BJP leaders are working overtime to make it a grand event.
Party leaders told Express that they were expecting over three lakh party workers and members to attend the public meeting that Modi would address at the Codissia grounds on February 2.
The visit by the BJP’s leading mascot to the western belt of Tamil Nadu, one of the pockets of strength for the BJP in Tail Nadu, is significant as it comes a month before the Assembly polls notification. “The Prime Minister’s visit is going to be a turning point in the State’s political scenario ahead of the Assembly elections,” said CP Radhakrishnan, former State president who is busy with arrangements for the public meeting at Coimbatore. Asked to explain, Radhakrishnan said, “Please wait and see. Modiji has created a confidence about him among all sections of society. We expect over three lakh party members and workers to attend the meeting.”
The tentative schedule is, Modi arrives at around 2 pm on February 2 at Coimbatore. He inaugurates the ESIC Medical College cum Hospital. Later, he will take part in an interaction programme with the students of a private university there. As Coimbatore is one of the light engineering hubs in the State, Modi may meet industry representatives. In the evening, he will address a public meeting at Codissia grounds. A senior BJP member in Coimbatore said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was recently appointed as in charge of Tamil Nadu election is visiting Coimbatore on Thursday to oversee the arrangements for Modi’s visit. Already, the party’s joint general secretary (organisation) Kesava Vinayakam is in Coimbatore to oversee the work. Even as they are ensuring that no stone is left unturned, all efforts are on to show some concrete progress in ‘alliance talks’. Efforts are on to facilitate the meeting of some alliance leaders with Modi.
DMDK founder Vijaykant and PMK founder S Ramadoss greeted Amit Shah when he was re-elected as BJP president and hailed his leadership, which has given fresh hopes for the national party.