Tamil Nadu BJP declared the first phase of the state unit's 'En Mann, En Makkal' (My land, my people) padayatra a huge success. The first phase of the yatra which was undertaken by BJP TN unit chief Annamalai concluded on Tuesday at Tirunelveli. The yatra which took place for 22 days covered 41 Assembly constituencies by touching upon districts including Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli.
The first phase of the yatra was flagged off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Rameswaram on June 28. The second phase of the yatra is set to begin from Alangulam in Tenkasi district on September 3.
Joint coordinator of the yatra Amar Prasad Reddy said, the second phase will traverse through Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, The Nilgiris, and Coimbatore districts before concluding on September 27 at Singanallur constituency in Coimbatore district.
State BJP Vice President Narayanan Thirupathy told IANS, Annamalai is well-liked by the people of the state, and he has demonstrated through his skills that he is capable of bringing about the necessary change that the people desire.
He said that Annamalai was developing as Tamil Nadu's hope, and the yatra's impact will be felt in the state's general elections in 2024.
R. Ponnusamy, a retired professor of political science and Director at the Institute of Social Studies, Kanniyakumari, told IANS, “The padayatra undertaken by Annamalai has been a rousing success in the districts through which it traversed."
Further, he stated that Annamalai has endeared himself to the populace with his hard-hitting speeches and anti-corruption stance and is emerging as a major leader in Tamil Nadu.
However, it would be interesting to watch how the BJP positions itself in places where the party does not have a strong presence in the upcoming elections.