Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai’s yatra from Rameswaram on July 28. During the roadshow, Mr. Annamalai intends to cover all 234 Assembly segments in the 39 Parliamentary constituencies in the State. The 120-days yatra would end in Chennai by mid-January 2024 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
The yatra, which was initially planned in April, was postponed at least twice due to the Karnataka Assembly elections and the BJP’s nationwide campaign throughout June to popularise the work of the Union government in the last nine years.
While the yatra was initially touted to be a “padayatra”, party sources now say the yatra will be undertaken partly on foot and partly by a bus specially designed for the purpose. Mr. Annamalai will visit two Assembly segments a day, walking an average of 9.5 km and covering the rest on the campaign bus.
The yatra is titled En Mann, En Makkal - Prathamar Modiyin Tamil Muzhakkam (My Land, My People - Prime Minister Modi’s Clarion Call to Tamils). Party leaders said the yatra’s focus would be to highlight the achievements under the leadership of Mr. Modi. It would also target the DMK government in Tamil Nadu for its alleged failures.
Amar Prasad Reddy, Tamil Nadu BJP’s Sports Cell’s president, who has been designated as the deputy in-charge of the yatra, said Mr. Shah and Mr. Annamalai would offer prayers at the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram before commencing the yatra. They will later hoist the party flag and attend a grand public meeting.
With rest days planned in between, the yatra will happen over 120 days. As many as 11 public meetings in places such as Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Coimbatore, The Nilgiris, Villupuram, Salem, Thanjavur, Vellore and Chennai have been planned over the course of the yatra. National-level leaders are also expected to attend.
Mr. Annamalai will also attend street-corner meetings in all Assembly segments. Other activities like Nalaya Tamizhagam, which will involve interactions with youngsters, job fairs, free medical checkups, women conclaves, grama sabhas and interactions with farmers will be part of the yatra.
