CHENNAI: With just 10 days left for the Lok Sabha poll in Tamil Nadu on April 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took part in a well-attended roadshow at T Nagar in Chennai. BJP state president K Annamalai and party candidates Tamilisai Soundararajan (South Chennai), Vinoj P Selvam (Central Chennai) and RC Paul Kanagaraj (North Chennai) joined the PM as he stood atop a decorated car and waved at his supporters who lined up on either side of the road.
Dressed in a white shirt and traditional ‘veshti’ (dhoti) and ‘angavastram’ (shawl), the PM also carried a small cutout of BJP’s lotus symbol. The two-km roadshow from Panagal Park to Teynampet went on for about 45 minutes and the PM was seen smiling and waving at the people. While some people in the crowd were raising “Bharat mata ki jai” and “Modi, Modi” slogans, many were also seen carrying placards in support of BJP and the PM.
Later, in a series of posts on ‘X,’ the PM said the roadshow would remain a part of his memory forever and that Chennai had won him over.“The blessings of the people give me strength to keep working hard in your service and to make our nation even more developed. The enthusiasm also shows that Tamil Nadu is all set to support NDA in a big way,” he said in a post.
Hitting out at the DMK, he said the ruling party had done nothing for the city, and its MPs often go missing.
Congress & DMK complicit in harming strategic interests: PM
“For years, DMK took votes from the people of Chennai but did nothing for the city. DMK is busy furthering corruption and family rule. Their MPs are not accessible to the people, particularly whenever the times are challenging,” Modi said.
“The recent public information on the Katchatheevu surrender points to how Congress and DMK were complicit in harming our strategic interests and the well-being of our fishermen and fisherwomen. No wonder this time, Chennai is all set to reject DMK and Congress,” he wrote in a post.
“I assure my sisters and brothers of Chennai that our government will keep working for the welfare of this vibrant city. Over the last few years, I have come here very often to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for key projects which will boost ‘Ease of Living.’ At the root of this is connectivity.” He also said recently, the new integrated terminal building at Chennai airport was inaugurated. In the coming times, railway stations here including Egmore Station are going to be redeveloped.
He said, thanks to Vande Bharat express, connectivity between Chennai-Coimbatore and Chennai-Mysuru had also been enhanced. “The Chennai Metro network is being expanded, thus helping the professionals working in the city. Key road projects like the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway and the expansion of other existing road projects will improve commerce and connectivity,” he added.
BJP functionaries were mindful of putting together a heterogeneous crowd for the event. College students and beneficiaries of central government welfare schemes were also invited for the roadshow. Each functionary was given a charge to bring at least 100 visitors to the road show. College students from Maduravoyal and Narikuravar numbering around 60 came from the redhills to the roadshow.
“PM gave ST recognition to our community. We came here to thank them,” said a member of the community.
The entry to the venue was opened to the public by 3pm and the crowd gradually started to increase. Thousands of people gathered from noon till the evening. Though the roads were blocked, commercial establishments and some of the eateries were opened till the evening. Apart from locals, people from various parts of the city attended the road show. Folk artists along the route also greeted the PM by performing various traditional art forms of Tamil Nadu.
The roadshow was intended to be a show of strength by the BJP to establish itself as the leader of the alliance that is ready to challenge the hegemony of the Dravidian parties dominating the Tamil Nadu political scene. While the supporters of the alliance parties like the Tamil Maanila Congress and OPS faction were among the crowd of supporters, the flags of alliance parties were missing.
After an overnight stay in Chennai, Modi will address election rallies in Vellore and Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district on Wednesday in support of NDA candidates Annamalai, union minister L Murugan, and Soumya Anbumani, candidate of ally PMK in Dharmapuri.