Amit Shah exudes confidence of NDA 'coalition government' in TN post Apr 6 polls

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched his party's campaign for the April 6 Lok Sabha bypoll here and exuded confidence that the party would not only win here, but that the NDA in Tamil Nadu would emerge victorious in the Assembly elections too next month.

The BJP is part of the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu and the party is contesting the April 6 bypoll to the Kanyakumari parliamentary segment as part of its seat-sharing agreement with the Dravidian party.

Single phase polls to 234 assembly seats in the state are also scheduled on April 6, with arch rival AIADMK and DMK led combines keen to ensure victory for the respective alliances.

Launching his "Vetri Kodi Eandhi Tamizhagam Velvom" (Will Win Tamil Nadu Carrying the flag of victory) campaign from Suseendiram in this district, Shah said he was confident that a coalition government of the NDA will come to power in the state after the April 6 assembly polls.

BJP has fielded former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan for the Lok Sabha bypoll, necessitated due to the death of Congress MP H Vasantha Kumar last year due to COVID-19.

Kicking off his party's campaign with Radhakrishnan,state BJP chief L Murugan and other senior state BJP leaders in tow, Shah said he visited 11 houses to "convey Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message."

Addressing reporters, he said "we have started the campaign to take the BJP's Lotus symbol door-to-door," and appealed to the public and the voters to elect Radhakrishnan as the party "needs him."

"I am sure about the outcome (of the polls), looking at the excitement of the people", both in Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat as well in the Assembly polls, he said, implying that the NDA would emerge victorious in the hustings.

"I am confident that a coalition government of AIADMK-BJP-PMK will be formed (after the Assembly polls)," he added. AIADMK has also sealed its seat-sharing agreement with Dr S Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), apportioning it 23 seats. Shah also distributed pamphlets, interacted with local people and took pictures with some of them.

Later, he embarked on a road show at Nagercoil in the district, travelling in an open van and canvassing votes for his party, amidst cries of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Vetrivel Veeravel", the latter slogan being dedicated to the Tamil deity, Lord Muruga.

Shah also garlanded a statue of Congress veteran and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu K Kamaraj, an architect of education reforms in the state and a leader respected across party lines.

The ruling AIADMK and the BJP in Tamil Nadu had on Friday clinched a seat-sharing deal, with the former, the lead partner, allocating 20 Assembly seats for its saffron ally and the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat. BJP has nominated Radhakrishnan from here. Though he won from the same segment in 2014, he lost to Kumar five years later.