Amit Shah to go to Tamil Nadu on Jan 14 as BJP plans grand Pongal

RAJINIKANTH’S determination to abort his political entry could have come as a setback for the BJP, which was trying to achieve from division of votes within the upcoming state elections, however the nationwide celebration’s plans to extend its visibility in Tamil Nadu is again on monitor, with high-profile visits and a grand statewide programme for Pongal celebrations.
Top celebration chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will go to the state – for the second time in two months – on January 14, when the state celebrates Pongal. Besides this, sources stated, BJP nationwide president J P Nadda could attend a Jallikattu occasion close to Madurai, presumably on January 15, a day after Shah’s go to to Chennai.
The week-long Pongal celebration programme – “Namma Ooru Pongal” – is the BJP’s newest transfer to shed its picture in Tamil Nadu of being a north Indian celebration. In November final yr, in an effort to be seen as referring to Tamil tradition and symbols, the celebration had organised Vel Yatra, which was to have a good time Tamil deity Lord Muruga.
Confirming Shah’s go to, a senior BJP chief stated, “Nadda also may be reaching Tamil Nadu to attend a Jallikattu event. Our national leaders from different states, including national general secretaries C T Ravi and B L Santhosh, are also scheduled to attend the Pongal celebrations. The list of other leaders are yet to be confirmed.”

ExplainedBJP’s long-term plansTHE BJP’s week-long programme for Pongal, a competition that celebrates Tamil tradition and peasants, could also be way more than a strategic transfer forward of the Assembly elections in May. It seems to be a part of the celebration’s long-term plans to achieve acceptance in a state that has been dominated largely by Dravidian events. It can also be vital since, because the ruling celebration on the Centre, the BJP was on the receiving finish of the Jallikattu protests within the state throughout 2017 Pongal. The transfer, nevertheless, could come as a shock for the Dravidian events as Pongal is taken into account a individuals’s competition, and there have been no seen efforts up to now to capitalise on it politically.

Senior celebration chief Khushboo stated it was vital {that a} celebration reminiscent of BJP celebrates Pongal as it’s not a mere competition however it’s also in regards to the tradition and way of life of the individuals. “I am glad that we are celebrating it in a big way,” she stated.
During his go to, Shah will attend the anniversary operate of Tughlaq journal of late Cho Ramaswamy, which is at the moment being run by RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy, who was accused of orchestrating a revolt and cut up in AIADMK after Jayalalithaa’s dying and credited for influencing Rajinikanth in favour of BJP.
Multiple sources within the BJP stated Shah might also be assembly Rajinikanth to hunt his assist within the election. People near Rajinikanth, nevertheless, have dominated out any likelihood of the actor making political statements to favour the BJP within the upcoming polls.
Ahead of the visits of Shah and Nadda, the celebrations shall be attended by senior leaders and celebrities reminiscent of H Raja, Pon Radhakrishnan, state president L Murugan, C P Radhakrishnan, Khushboo and Gayathri Raghuram.