COIMBATORE : The BJP has opted for ‘roadshows’ in Tamil Nadu for the 2024 Lok Sabha election as an alternative to the traditional public meetings mostly held by the Dravidian parties.
Even though the BJP conducts such meetings occasionally, it focuses on roadshows as they have been well-received by the public in the northern states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Union Ministers Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman continue to hold roadshows in Tamil Nadu to garner votes for candidates of the NDA.
BJP party honchos believe by having key leaders participate in roadshows, the public can connect easily with them when seeing the leaders closely. They hope it would pay off well in this election.
However, the partymen of prominent state parties, the DMK and the AIADMK, say such efforts are ineffective, especially if the public is not won over with stirring speeches.
The trend of roadshows became a talk point in the political circles after AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami in a recent public meeting at Pollachi strongly criticised BJP’s roadshows. He wondered whether people voted for the BJP for simply conducting roadshows?
BJP’s state president K Annamalai countered by asking EPS how many people would come if he held a roadshow.
“People will not come to see Palaniswami if he goes on a roadshow. So, they bring people, make them sit in a tent, read out what they have written and make them listen. But PM Modi comes to see the people and they come to see him. We call the roadshow a ‘people darshan yatra” Annamalai said.
He also said roadshows are an alternative to public meetings.
SR Shekhar, BJP state treasurer, claimed a roadshow creates a bond between the people and their leaders.
R Mani, a senior journalist and political analyst, told TNIE that roadshow strategy will not yield proper results in Tamil Nadu. He said that Dravidian parties are movements that have grown through communicating continuously with the people.
However, political commentator Ravindran Duraisamy differs from his view.
“As an alternative to the traditional politics, Tamil Nadu BJP has taken up the roadshow which is successful in the North.”
“Lack of enough speakers may force the BJP to opt for roadshows. Anyone other than Narendra Modi will not attract people. The ‘roadshow’ will help to build a hero image for the PM. It will benefit the BJP as it gives easy access to the masses,” Ravindran said.