JP Nadda visits Meenakshi temple, reviews poll strategies with partymen

MADURAI: Clad in traditional silk white dhoti and shirt, BJP National President JP Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to kick-start the party’s election campaign, paid a visit to Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here on Saturday.

Nadda reached Madurai late on Friday night in a chartered flight and stayed at a private guest house at Anuppanadi. His family members were also accompanying him during his temple visit. While leaving the temple, he was spotted holding a lotus flower, the party’s symbol, in his hand. From the temple, he proceeded to Goripalayam junction where the BJP National President garlanded the statue of Pasumpon Muthuramalingam in the presence of the party’s State President L Murugan and National General Secretary incharge of Tamil Nadu, CT Ravi.

Later in the day, Nadda chaired a series of high-level party meetings to discuss the party’s election strategies, including the core committee meeting that was attended by L Murugan, CT Ravi, National organising secretary BL Santhosh, senior leader L Ganesan and former Union Minister of State Pon Radhakrishnan.

He also presided over a meeting with the party’s social media volunteers and new joinees. In the afternoon, Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar who was in the city to attend the inauguration of the temple built for former Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and MG Ramachandran at T Kunnathur near Thirumangalam, called on Nadda at the guest house where he held meetings with several leaders.

Later, the minister told media that his meeting with the BJP National chief was just a courtesy call. Revenue Minister RB Udayakumar and Cooperation Minister Sellur K Raju also met Nadda. Notably, leaders of BJP’s ally - AIADMK including the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and the ministers were also in Madurai on Saturday for the inauguration of the temple constructed by Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar for MG Ramanachandran and Jayalalithaa.

Tense moments in Puducherry Congress camp
Puducherry: With BJP chief JP Nadda slated to visit Puducherry on Sunday and rumours circulating of more ruling alliance leaders planning to shift base to the party, hectic and heated meetings were witnessed
in the Congress camp on Saturday. Senior AICC leaders, including M Veerappa Moily, MM Pallam Raju, Nitin Raut, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Sanjay Dutt, held meetings with each party MLA at a hotel here on the
day. Malladi Krishna Rao, who is in Yanam, MOHF Shajahan, who is out of station, and Parliamentary Secretary to CM K Lakshminarayanan, who is in Covid quarantine, did not attend the meeting.