Published 09:18 IST, November 21st 2020
Amit Shah's TN visit studded with inaugurations, meetings with BJP & allies in poll run-up
Senior BJP leader Amit Shah's visit to Chennai comes as political parties in Tamil Nadu have sounded the poll bugle for the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to land in Chennai for his two-day visit to the southern state of Tamil Nadu today. Home Minister Shah will inaugurate a series of developmental projects and meeting representatives of the Tamil Nadu BJP unit and senior leaders of ally AIADMK. The senior BJP leader's visit to Chennai comes as political parties in the state have sounded the poll bugle for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections set to be held in May 2021.
Home Minister Amit Shah will kick-off his visit by paying floral tributes to veteran AIADMK icons and ex-CMs MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa at the Kalaivanar Arangam at 4.30 pm after which he will lay foundation stones and inaugurate various developmental projects, including the Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase-3. He is also expected to meet Tamil Nadu CM Edapaddi Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Pannerselvam at Kalaivanar Arangam. Following his participation in the event, the senior BJP leader is scheduled to chair a meeting with the Tamil Nadu BJP unit's office bearers and district presidents to chalk out the poll strategies for the upcoming polls. Speculations of a meeting between Amit Shah and Superstar Rajinikanth are also rife although there has been no confirmation yet.
HM Amit Shah's itinerary
TN BJP's Vel Yatra
The state unit, led by its president L Murugan, has been attempting unsuccessfully to kickstart a state-wide 'Vel yatra' from November 6 despite the government ban citing the coronavirus pandemic. The party has, however, been holding public 'vel yatra' meetings and courting arrest in multiple locations when police authorities deny them permission to proceed with the yatra. The Vetrivel or Vel yatra campaign by the Saffron party to "expose Karuppar Kootam that denigrated" Kanda Sasti Kavacham in praise of Lord Muruga and the DMK "which lent support" to the group, has grabbed attention ever since the government declared it cannot allow it. For the BJP's state unit, the yatra campaign assumed even more significance after it met with opposition from parties like the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi which wanted it banned, claiming it could lead to violence.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021
The two warring factions in AIADMK - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswamy (EPS), reconciled after the party named incumbent E Palaniswamy as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee. With AIADMK ruling out a coalition with BJP, the saffron party is reportedly in talks with MK Stalin's estranged brother - Alagiri and superstar Rajinikanth - who has often praised PM Modi. Meanwhile, ex-CM Karunanidhi's successor - DMK chief MK Stalin eyes his maiden CM term as DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats.
Updated 09:56 IST, November 21st 2020