Empty chairs greet Rajnath

The BJP leader was campaigning for NDA alliance candidates in Thanjavur

THANJAVUR, TAMILNADU, 18/04/2014: A scene of uncrowded election meeting at BJP president Rajnath Singh's Lok Sabha election campaign, in Thanjavur. Photo: B. Velankanni Raj

‘Thilakar Thidal’ in the heart of Thanjavur town has witnessed many public meetings in the past. Election meetings of various parties addressed by top leaders at this ground have always drawn huge crowds. The poll meeting addressed by Bharatiya Janata Party national president Rajnath Singh in support of NDA alliance candidates of Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam constituencies there on Friday afternoon may well go down in history as one of the most poorly attended meetings ever. This was despite the presence of local leaders of the alliance partners on the dais. Even though the BJP had made elaborate arrangements on this sprawling ground, the thin crowd shocked supporters of the constituents of the rainbow alliance. The BJP was actually pressing for Tiruchi constituency, which it had won twice in the past. But this time around, the party had to make a compromise and was given Thanjavur, which is not its base, to accommodate the interests of its allies.