With just five days remaining for the campaigning to draw to
a close, Union Home Minister and BJP’s Chief strategist Amit Shah held a road show
in this temple town on Thursday evening to canvass votes for the NDA candidates for
the April 19 Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier, Mr Amit Shah arrived on a two-day visit by a special aircraft and was accorded a
rousing reception at the airport.
From the airport, Mr Shah reached the Lord Dhanduayudhapani Temple junction at
Nethaji Salai where he began his road show to canvass votes for BJP nominee Rama
Sreenivasan.
The nearly 2-km long road show culminated at Vilakkuthoon junction.
Right through the road show route, BJP cadres, including women, carrying party flags and
the portraits of Mr Shah and BJP’s symbol ‘Lotus’, along with cadres of alliance parties,
lined up on both sides of the roads and enthusiastically greeted him.
During the road show, Mr Shah accepted their greetings by waved his hands and displayed
the party’s symbol.
Earlier, he was presented a garland of Lotus flowers, which he presented to the candidate.
After the road show, Mr Shah offered worship at the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple.
On Saturday, Mr Shah will hold a road show at Thuckalay in Kanniyakumari constituency
in favour of BJP candidate and former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan.
He is also scheduled to visit Tiruvarur where he will address an election meeting and
canvass votes for BJP candidate SGM Ramesh after which he would leave for Delhi by
a special aircraft.
As per earlier schedule, Mr Shah, upon his arrival in Madurai, was to travel by helicopter
to Sivaganga to hold road shows at Karaikudi in Sivaganga and and Tenkasi constituencies,
before holding a road show in Madurai. But it was cancelled.
BJP sources said, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Tenkasi and
address an election public meetings in support of BJP-led NDA candidates on Monday,
Mr Shah’s road show has been cancelled.
Mr Shah was earlier scheduled to visit the State on April five and six but had twice
cancelled his visit.
