In ‘super south push’, PM will campaign in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana today

New Delhi:

With just weeks left for the crucial Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has stepped up its outreach in the south. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the party’s campaign in Kerala, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, states where the BJP has yet to make significant inroads.

In Kerala, the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to attract minority Christian groups to gain a foothold in the state, whose demographics – dominated by Muslims and Christians – are difficult for a party seen as pro-Hindu. A huge challenge.

Prime Minister Modi will arrive at Pathanamthitta at 10.30 am and will be greeted by BJP state president K Surendran, the party’s Kerala chief Prakash Javadekar Javadekar, state secretary George Kurian and Pathanamthitta district chairman VA Sooraj.

The prime minister will hold a public meeting here, which sources say will be attended by one lakh people.

Sources said the NDA’s Lok Sabha elects V Muraleedharan, Anil K Antony, Sobha Surendran and Baiju Kalasala will also attend the meeting, adding that Congress stalwart Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of former Kerala chief minister K Karunakaran Will also attend the meeting. From Congress, that will be there as well.

In Tamil Nadu, the BJP is without an ally for the first time since the AIADMK quit the NDA group last year due to a dispute with BJP state president K Annamalai.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the state for the fifth time this year and will campaign in Kanyakumari today. India’s southern tip is where the BJP has a strong presence; in the Dravidian heartland, it is still struggling without any major allies after the AIADMK’s exit.

The party is trying to woo the PMK and actor Vijayakanth’s DMDK in the state ahead of the polls. The prime minister has been targeting the ruling party’s dynastic politics and corruption, while the DMK has built its narrative around the BJP’s attacks on federalism and financial discrimination in southern states.

The party had good luck with Congress MP Vijayadharani joining the party in Kanyakumari.

The Prime Minister, who is on a marathon election campaign, will also canvass votes for his party in Telangana today. He will arrive in Begumpet tonight to conduct a roadshow in Malkajgiri, which will also be attended by the party’s Lok Sabha candidate Eatala Rajender and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.

Police have issued traffic warnings for the roadshow and some areas will remain off-limits to the public until the show is over.

The Prime Minister will stay overnight at Raj Bhavan and hold a public meeting at Nagarkurnool tomorrow.

P Bharat, elected by the BJP from Nagarkurnool, is the son of sitting MP P Ramulu.

The Prime Minister will attend the BJP-TDP-Jana Sena public meeting at Chirakaluripeta on Sunday.