Leaders from the North, touring the State for garnering votes during elections, had always preferred to endear themselves with the people here, by adapting Tamilian ways and styles.
It was Indira Gandhi, who set the trend by beginning her speeches with a “vanakkam” and ending the same with a “nandri”. Some BJP leaders who had called on Narendra Modi recently to contribute funds for the Sardar Patel statue had requested him to follow suit and endear himself to Tamil voters.
Mr. Modi who had narrated a Tirukural couplet during his Tiruchi meet, found the suggestion brilliant and had reportedly assured a woman leader in the delegation that he would wear veshti (dhoti), sattai (shirt) and a thundu (shawl) for his campaign meetings in support of NDA candidates.
Enthused by this, the BJP workers went a step ahead and are planning to drape a saffron shawl on his shoulder, as a mark of identification, just as DMK president M.Karunanidhi is identified with his yellow shawl and MDMK leader Vaiko with his black shawl.
Tamil Nadu voters can see a new look Modi, going around clad in dhoti and shawl, in typical Tamil Nadu style.
