Chennai: In what can be seen as the BJP’s first big outreach in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state Sunday and asked party workers to target over 25 seats for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He also met with various industrialists, sportspersons, and film and television personalities.
Shah held a public meeting in Vellore district, which was organised to celebrate nine years of the Modi government, and urged the people to bring back the Modi government for the third time.
“In 2024, with more than 300 seats, the Modi government will form the government. I have come to request you to vote for the NDA and give over 25 MPs as a mark of thanking Modi for the sengol that has been installed in the Parliament,” the home minister said.
The Modi government has completed 9 years on the path of growth and welfare for the poor. Speaking at a public rally organised by @BJP4TamilNadu on this occasion. #9YearsOfSeva https://t.co/D01xUI0K8Q
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 11, 2023
Shah also conducted a closed-door meeting with the south Chennai executives of the party Sunday morning. According to state BJP sources, he has asked party members to strengthen the booth-level committees in the state.
“He has asked the party karyakartas (workers) to ensure that the BJP gets a two-digit victory in the state and that Modi sarkar comes back to Parliament. He has asked all the administrators and volunteers to work hard for the NDA alliance to win in all constituencies in the parliamentary elections,” a senior BJP executive who was part of the meeting told ThePrint.
According to the sources, Shah also said that there should be a prime minister from Tamil Nadu in the future.
“Amit Shahji said two people from the state with the potential to be PM — Kamaraj and Moopanar — did not get an opportunity because of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK),” said another senior leader from BJP.
K. Kamaraj and G.K.Moopanar were prominent Congress leaders from Tamil Nadu who were considered prime ministerial candidates in the past.
Reacting to reports of Shah hinting a Tamil PM in the future, state BJP chief K. Annamalai said, as quoted by ANI: “…That was purely addressed to the workers of our party. The HM was very clear, he traced his own journey from 1982 as a booth president to our national president to home minister now. He also traced the life of our PM…He said, from booth president to prime minister — all of you will keep climbing up the rank. That is the beauty of this party. So, he mentioned the Tamil friends sitting in front of me…”
Stalin vs Shah
Meanwhile, ahead of Shah’s arrival to the state, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who is on a three-day visit to Salem, challenged Shah Saturday to list the schemes of the central government for Tamil Nadu.
Accusing the Union government of not working for the welfare of the state and imposing Hindi and Sanskrit on Tamil people, Stalin said many special schemes were brought to Tamil Nadu during the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre.
Lashing out at home minister, the CM said, “Does he have the ability to give a list; he should list out the schemes? He should get the courage and ability to say that this is what they have done for Tamil Nadu. Will he get (the courage) it? No.”
Meanwhile, responding to Stalin during the Vellore meeting, Shah challenged the CM to respond to his questions: “Yesterday I heard Stalin ask why AIIMS has not come to Madurai. During the 10 years in UPA, why didn’t the DMK try to bring AIIMS to Tamil Nadu?”
Shah added that, two batches of AIIMS have started in temporary campuses in Tamil Nadu under Modi’s rule.
The Union minister also alleged that the DMK and Congress were only interested in corruption and dynasty politics. “We are talking not about the 2G scam (referring to telecom scandal), but about second-generation, third-generation and fourth-generation dynasty politics,” he said.
The Maran family is ‘2G’ where two generations are involved in politics and corruption. The Karunanidhi family is ‘3G’. They have three generations in politics and corruption. And the Gandhi family is ‘4G’, where Rahul is the fourth generation, Shah claimed.
“Now it is time to remove 2G, 3G, 4G, and it is time to give an opportunity to the son of Tamil soil,” he asserted.
Meeting with industrialists, film stars
Amit Shah’s visit started with controversy on Saturday after a 25-minute power outage on his route from the airport to his hotel — a distance of 9 km.
BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan called it a “planned and deliberate attempt” by the DMK government and demanded an investigation.
As Union HM Shri @AmitShah existed Chennai Airport, there were sudden power cutoff in both stretches of the road. The power was resumed after almost half an hour. This looks planned & deliberate attempt & should be seriously investigated.Shame on DMK govt!pic.twitter.com/PSDR7lxX1D
— Vanathi Srinivasan (@VanathiBJP) June 10, 2023
After reaching the hotel, Shah met several industrialists, sportspersons, and film and television personalities from Tamil Nadu.
The meeting was part of the nationwide celebrations being organised by the BJP on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing nine years in office.
Some of those who met Shah were industrialist Apollo Hospitals executive vice-chairperson Preetha Reddy and her husband Vijayakumar Reddy, P.S. Rajan of India Cements, textile businessman Nalli Kuppusami.
From the film industry, Shah met National award-winning music director G.V. Prakash Kumar, film directors R.K. Selvamani, A.R. Rajasekaran, and film producer Abirami Ramanathan, among others.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
Also Read: Sengol puts focus on Tamil Nadu’s Adheenams. Wings clipped by Dravidian politics, now courted by BJP