BJP plans to reach out via grand Pongal celebrations

The state BJP leadership has instructed its district units to celebrate Pongal in a grand manner under the title “Namma Ooru Pongal,” where the party workers will meet the public and greet them ahead of the Pongal season and also have a door to door chat explaining the schemes that have been introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the BJP has planned state wide Pongal celebrations its ally AIADMK is planning a series of jallikattu events.

According to BJP sources, the saffron party has planned to organise Pongal events like the AIADMK and DMK, so that the party reaches out to the public at the grass-root level. The BJP had also roped in its star campaigners to boost the two-day event that will start on Saturday and end the next day.

BJP state president L Murugan will launch the programme in Tirunelveli on Sunday and the campaign in Chennai will start on Saturday. Actor Radharavi will tour in The Nilgiris and music composer Gangai Amaren will start the event in Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram. Similarly, comedian Power Star Srinivasan will tour Tiruvannamalai and actor Namidha will campaign in north and Central Chennai, BJP sources said.

“In Chennai, the BJP will observe Pongal celebrations in all the Assembly constituencies, especially in Kolathur constituency represented by DMK leader MK Stalin. The party has formed ward wise shakti kendras to make the celebrations and campaign a gala event,” BJP spokesperson and Kolathur BJP constituency poll in-charge ANS Prasad told DT Next. Six ward level committees have been formed in Kolathur and they will visit houses extending Pongal greetings to the public. The booth level event will be started by distributing free Pongal to the public and then the BJP workers will go on a door to door campaign with pamphlets explaining the central schemes. Life insurance schemes, PM Kissan scheme, free cooking gas are some of the schemes that will be highlighted during our Pongal visit. Our party workers will also discuss the civic issues and the local problems of the public during the door to door visit, Prasad added.