PUDUCHERRY: The BJP is bracing up for a series of high-decibel campaigns by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, and several other ministers, as the party has set its eyes on capturing power in Puducherry, which has been a Congress bastion so far. The Prime Minister will address another rally, while Amit Shah will lead a road show and Nadda will address a rally in Karaikal region.
Several other leaders like Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are among those who are likely to campaign in Puducherry, said Nirmal Kumar Surana, election in-charge for Puducherry BJP. They would start their campaigns after the process of filing nominations is over by March 22 and the candidates are in the fray, he added.
The focus of the campaigns would be the promise to make Puducherry, the ‘BEST’ which stands for development of Business, Education, Spiritualism, and Tourism hubs, said Surana. When asked why the saffron party was concentrating so much on the tiny Union Territory, Surana shot back saying, “Why not Puducherry?” The BJP has so far not made any electoral inroads in any of the four regions of the UT and is expecting to come to power this time.
“The party’s prospects cannot be assessed based on its performance in previous elections, as the party has grown since then,” said Surana. Understandably, he is confident after the entry of half a dozen leaders from Congress, AINRC, and DMK into the party fold. The BJP, along with NR Congress, and AIADMK would make a formidable alliance, based on which, the NDA will sweep the polls,” said a highly optimistic Surana, who is also the vice president of the State unit of Karnataka BJP.
“The party is taking suggestions from people on their requirements through the campaign launched with dropboxes. After looking through them, the best ones will be taken for framing the party’s election manifesto. Already 20,000 people have given their suggestions and the exercise will continue upto March 20,” he added. The party has been propagating the idea of one party rule at both the Centre and State for quite sometime.