COIMBATORE: BJP’s Coimbatore North candidate Vanathi Srinivasan sudden hospitalisation has come as a setback to the party ahead of the Assembly elections, as her campaigning has turned complicated. To better manage the situation, the party’s headquarters has decided to deploy its star campaigners and frontline leaders to campaign on her behalf.
Vanathi was hospitalised on Friday after swelling in her legs. While it was earlier said that she would be discharged and return home on Saturday, and that she would immediately join the election campaign, hospital authorities stated that she has been shifted to the ICU. They also stated that it would take another day or two for her treatment to be completed. As a result, her campaign schedule has been postponed further.
“Even after being discharged and returning home, she may need to rest for a few more days, raising questions about whether she will be able to continue campaigning actively," said a senior BJP functionary.
Therefore, he said that a decision has been taken to field key leaders of the BJP and NDA parties to campaign for her.
In Tamil Nadu, the BJP is contesting in 27 constituencies, of which Coimbatore North is considered among the key constituencies as Vanathi is among the party’s four MLAs in the state and is also the national president of the BJP Mahila Morcha. Vanathi, who won in Coimbatore South in the previous election, has now given the seat to the AIADMK and will be contesting from Coimbatore North. She allegedly secured this seat after a huge protest between the alliances as well as within the party.
Since the DMK and TVK candidates are expected to pose a strong challenge, even Vanathi's nomination filing event was organised with grandeur. On April 7, she filed her nomination accompanied by BJP's former state president K Annamalai, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and AIADMK functionaries. After engaging in intense campaigning over the following days, she was admitted to the hospital.
As Coimbatore North is the only constituency in Coimbatore where the BJP is contesting, and since Vanathi is one of the party's key leaders, her victory is considered important. Moreover, she is already a sitting MLA, making her victory a reflection of the BJP’s success in the district. With the latest developments, plans are being discussed to involve star campaigners and senior leaders from the BJP and its alliance parties in the campaign.
Further, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Coimbatore on April 18, and campaigning for Vanathi is likely to be a major part of the visit.
Meanwhile, AIADMK workers said campaigning without the candidate has become an additional burden for the party, which has significant influence in the North constituency.
If the Coimbatore North constituency had not been allotted to the BJP, it would have been given to R Chandrasekar from Vadavalli, who is the state joint secretary of the AIADMK's MGR youth wing. He is a loyalist of former AIADMK minister SP Velumani, who had sought a chance to contest from Coimbatore North. However, the seat was allotted to the BJP.
"Since Chandrasekar is a well-known figure in the constituency, the BJP's election campaign is being conducted with him in the forefront. In 2021, when Coimbatore South was given to the BJP, AIADMK's Amman K Arjunan contested from the North. Even though it was a new constituency for him, he won, and it was said that the ground work by Chandrasekar and others played a significant role. A similar situation has now arisen in Coimbatore North, so the BJP is carrying out its campaign under the guidance of AIADMK functionaries including Chandrasekar. Even though he did not get the opportunity to contest, he is in a position where he has to put in extra effort for the alliance partner," said an AIADMK functionary.