Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are set to lead an I.N.D.I.A bloc rally in Coimbatore on April 12. Coimbatore is a significant Lok Sabha constituency where BJP heavyweight and the party's state president K Annamalai is contesting and it is also part of Kongu belt, which is considered as a hold of AIADMK.
DMK, as senior partner in the state's ruling alliance, which includes the Congress and other parties, officially confirmed the date for the joint rally featuring the two prominent leaders.
As per an official statement from the DMK, Rahul Gandhi and CM Stalin will spearhead the rally, aiming to garner electoral support for Opposition bloc candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.
As per the DMK release, the public meeting will take place in Coimbatore's Chettypalayam area.
After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi is expected to leave for Kerala, from where he is contesting the elections.
Tamil Nadu is scheduled to vote for the Lok Sabha elections in a single phase on April 19, amidst the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections nationwide.
With an aim to extend its electoral influence further south of the Vindhyas, an area that has traditionally been a stronghold for the ruling party, except in Karnataka where the BJP has held power, and in Kanyakumari in 2014, the ruling party at the Centre has strategically deployed its key figure in the Lok Sabha battle this time. State chief Annamalai has been fielded from Coimbatore, a significant move in this electoral strategy.