For the first time in the history of the BJP Tamil Nadu unit, a large number of candidates were contesting in the ward elections for corporations, municipalities and town panchayats, said P. Sudhakar Reddy, BJP national co-incharge of the State, here on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at Race Course Grounds, where he campaigned for the party candidates, he said the cadre and functionaries were in an upbeat mood and were optimistic about winning a sizeable number of seats. The Central government’s schemes had reached a large number of beneficiaries. “The people, particularly in the below poverty line (BPL) category, have got a housing programme and farmers have been brought under crop insurance coverage,” he said.
Having criss-crossed many cities and districts in Tamil Nadu since February 8, Mr. Reddy said the people were upset with the DMK government. “It is something like a non-performing asset. People have already started feeling the heat. The distribution of substandard commodities in the Pongal gift hamper is just the tip of the iceberg,” he charged.
In many cities, DMK functionaries were misusing official machinery, he claimed and added that despite all these limitations, the BJP would clinch a decent victory by winning in a sizeable number of wards.
Further, he said the DMK leaders, including Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, were threatening the constitutional head. This was not a healthy way to deal with in a democracy. The BJP could not be silenced by bomb attacks, he said, recalling the recent incident reported at Kamalalayam, the BJP headquarters in T. Nagar, Chennai.
Madurai district BJP secretary Saravanan and others campaigned along with Mr. Reddy, who appealed to the people to cast their votes for ‘Lotus’, the party’s symbol, in the election to be held on February 19.
