Land levelling works in progress at the ground in Gajjalnaickenpatti in Salem on Monday, ahead of the BJP public meeting scheduled for March 15 in Tamil Nadu.
| Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E
Ten years after he last held a public rally in the district, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Salem on March 15 to hold a public meeting organised by the BJP, arrangements for which began on Monday.
BJP functionaries in the district began spreading word through social media on Sunday evening that the Prime Minister would be participating in the public meeting to be held at Gajjalnaickenpatti, which came as a surprise to many. Mr. Modi had last arrived in Salem as the prime ministerial candidate for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2014. Ten years later, in 2024, he is making his first visit to Salem as Prime Minister.
On Monday, BJP functionaries led by BJP state vice president K.P. Ramalingam inspected the public meeting ground at Gajjalnaickenpatti and started the public meeting arrangements. Salem District Superintendent of Police (SP) A.K. Arun Kabilan also inspected the venue regarding security arrangements.
BJP officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have revealed that during the En Mann En Makkal Yatra, the party received significant support from the public in urban areas of Salem. This public meeting has garnered more attention among BJP cadres, as Salem is the home district of former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami. In the Salem Parliament constituency, 51 BJP functionaries have expressed their willingness to contest in the upcoming parliamentary election, which is higher than any other constituency in Tamil Nadu. According to functionaries, it is almost confirmed that there will be no alliance with AIADMK. The public meeting in Salem will demonstrate the strength of the BJP.
BJP vice president K.P. Ramalingam said that party cadre from Salem, Namakkal, and Karur parliamentary constituencies will participate in the public meeting, and over two lakh functionaries are expected to participate. State President K. Annamalai and Union Minister L. Murugan are also participating in the meeting. The 39 parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu are divided into 10 clusters and the Prime Minister will visit every cluster. Salem is the fifth cluster that Mr. Modi is visiting. The participation of alliance leaders is yet to be confirmed. Mr. Ramalingam added.