After putting off a visit to Tamil Nadu during his ongoing tour programme to strengthen the party organisation, BJP president Amit Shah will be on a three-day tour of the State from August 22-24.
The visit assumes significance in the backdrop of the fact that the BJP has made no secret of its desire to step into the ‘power vacuum’ created in the State by the death of AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa and the conviction and jailing of the ruling party’s former acting general secretary Sasikala in cases related to graft.
Mr. Shah had earlier planned to visit Tamil Nadu between May 10 and 12, but postponed the trip for various reasons. “That was a crucial time when the NDA choice for the presidential poll was being firmed up and we needed to secure the support of both factions of the AIADMK. The entire focus of a vistarak yatra is to strengthen the party organisation, but the political situation would have ensured that only such questions would be asked by everyone,” said a senior source in the party.
Will meet OBC groups
While in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Shah will visit Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore. He is expected to meet leaders of various OBC groups in the State. The party had earlier supported a demand by the Devendrakula Vellalar community for a name change.
“It is true, however, that while we are keen on expansion in the State, we haven’t yet cracked the social engineering architecture that will help us to do so. This visit will be important in focussing attention here, and because of the split in the AIADMK we do have a strong incentive to push for expansion,” said a source.
Filmstar Rajinikanth, who had expressed an interest in politics, is being given a wide berth by the party. “He has to make up his mind. It’s always good if good people want to join politics,” Mr. Shah had said to The Hindu , in an interview in May.
