In a show of strength and solidarity, Union Home Minister Amit Shah kick-started the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election campaign in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu on 7 March. A Lok Sabha by-poll is also scheduled to be held in Kanyakumari alongside the state assembly elections, which are scheduled on 6 April.
This being his second visit to the state in a week, Shah’s presence is seen as a massive boost for the morale of the state cadre. However, there is serious discontent within the rank and file of the Congress party due to the indifference of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had come to Kanyakumari only to canvass votes for his party candidate even before the seat-sharing deal between DMK and Congress was clinched.
In 2019, Congress’s Vasanth Kumar won the seat defeating the incumbent former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan and now the BJP has again fielded him.
Amit Shah first offered prayers at the famous Thanumalayan temple in Suchintharam and then hit the road running, meeting with residents of the town. After that, he launched the door-to-door campaign “Vetri Kodi Eandi Tamizhagam Velvom”( carrying the flag of victory, we will win Tamil Nadu)”.
கன்னியாகுமரி மாவட்டம் நாகர்கோவிலில் நடந்த, சாலை பேரணியில் பெருமளவில் கலந்து கொண்ட சகோதர சகோதரிகளுக்கு என் நன்றியை தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்! pic.twitter.com/ggDXfBuyKx
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 7, 2021
Amit Shah said “Today, we have started our campaign by visiting 11 homes here to take the BJP’s Lotus Symbol door-to-door. I appeal to the voters to elect Radhakrishnan and send him to Delhi to strengthen the voice of Tamil Nadu. I am convinced about the poll outcome looking at the excitement of the people. Our government will topmost priority to the development of the state. I am confident that the AIADMK-BJP-PMK coalition will form the next government in Tamil Nadu.”
கன்னியாகுமரி, சுசீந்திரத்தில் @BJP4TamilNadu சார்பில் வீடு வீடாக சென்று பிரச்சாரம்!
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 7, 2021
பிரதமர் திரு.@narendramodi தலைமையின்கீழ், தமிழகத்தின் வளர்ச்சிக்கு முன்னுரிமை அளிக்கப்படுகிறது
பாஜக-அஇஅதிமுக கூட்டணியை பெரும்பான்மையுடன் தேர்ந்தெடுக்க வேண்டுமென தமிழக மக்களை கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறேன்! pic.twitter.com/canAV17XfN
Amit Shah tweeted, “Launched @BJP4TamilNadu’s door-to-door campaign from Suchindram, Kanyakumari. Under @narendramodi ji’s leadership, the development of Tamil Nadu is our topmost priority. I appeal to people of the state to elect the BJP-AIADMK alliance with an absolute majority.”
Later in the day, Amit Shah flew to Kerala to attend the valedictory function of BJP’s Kerala Vijay Sankalp yatra in Thiruvananthapuram.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.