TIRUCHY: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, received a warm reception from enthusiastic supporters as he travelled by road from a private hotel in the city to Tiruchy International Airport before flying to Gangaikonda Cholapuram on Sunday.
Hundreds of BJP and AIADMK cadres gathered along the roadside at key junctions, particularly in areas like Bharathidasan Salai (BJP cadres) and Subramaniapuram area road stretch (AIADMK cadres).
A large number of AIADMK members, carrying party flags and balloons, were seen waving as the PM’s convoy passed. This marked a rare instance of AIADMK cadres joining a public reception for the PM after the parties (AIADMK and BJP) renewed their alliance.
The PM acknowledged the cheering crowd by waving to them from inside his vehicle. While the turnout of AIADMK was comparatively higher to BJP cadres near the Bharathidasan Salai, it also revealed mixed emotions among AIADMK cadres with some viewing the renewed tie-up with the BJP as a strategic necessity, while others remaining uneasy about its long-term implications.
Several hundreds of AIADMK cadres arrived in open-top vans, waving party flags and carrying black-white-red balloons. Cadres, even with all restrictions to not even carry a water bottle due to protocol reasons, were waiting for hours to greet the PM during his brief passage through the city. It was the first such participation of Tiruchy AIADMK cadres in a BJP-linked event involving the PM since the alliance was revived.
“We need to be practical. If we want to win in 2026, we need a national partner. To defeat the DMK we need this alliance, so our show of strength is important,” said a youth wing cadre from Palakarai. A senior district-level functionary pointed out that the BJP had also recently extended support during AIADMK’s ‘Makkalai Kappom, Thamizhagathai Meetpom’ campaign in the delta districts.
However, for some, discomfort lingered. Several cadres admitted they had turned up at the instructions of district secretary rather than personal conviction. “We still remember how some BJP leaders spoke about sharing power and belittled our leadership,” said a women’s wing member from Kajapettai.
Many also expressed disappointment that the PM remained in the closed vehicle as it was told to them as roadshow. “We waited in the sun for four hours. A small wave would have meant a lot,” said another women’s wing functionary from Senthaneerpuram.