BJP invites allies for launch of Annamalai’s padayatra on July 28

The launch of Tamil Nadu BJP’s state-wide padayatra to be undertaken by its chief K Annamalai from July 28 is likely to witness the participation of allies, including the AIADMK, as the party makes a concerted effort to signal that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state is “united and strong.”

Multiple sources in the BJP told DH that Annamalai, who will walk from Rameswaram to Chennai covering all 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in six months, has invited AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Tamil Maanila Congress leader G K Vasan, and other alliance partners for the padayatra’s launch.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch the padayatra on July 28 from the temple town of Rameswaram which will culminate in Chennai on January 11 and the BJP felt it would augur well for the alliance to put up a “united show” at the event.

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“The padayatra is aimed at garnering support for the 2024 polls and now that AIADMK and BJP have formally declared that they will fight next year’s elections together, it is only fitting that all allies participate and send a message to the ruling DMK combine,” a senior BJP leader told DH.

The leader expressed the confidence that all leaders will join Shah in Rameswaram on July 28. Annamalai’s invitation to the AIADMK comes a month after the Dravidian party passed a resolution against him for his comments on J Jayalalithaa. The state BJP chief was also involved in several verbal duels with the AIADMK, raising questions on the future of the alliance but the BJP national leadership stepped in and brought peace.

“We have to seek votes in the name of Modi for the 2024 polls and we have always acknowledged AIADMK’s position as the leader of the alliance in Tamil Nadu. The invitation is yet another reach out from our side,” the leader added.

Known as ‘En Mann, En Makkal’, the yatra will cover all 234 assembly constituencies and 39 parliamentary constituencies in the state in five phases.

The first phase of the yatra will cover eight parliament constituencies – Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Madurai, Theni, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari, and Tirunelveli. It will start from Rameswaram and end in Tirunelveli, while the second phase of the yatra will start from Tenkasi in south Tamil Nadu and end in Namakkal in western Tamil Nadu.

The final phase of the yatra will cover eight Parliament constituencies in north Tamil Nadu, including three in Chennai. BJP leaders told DH that Shah, while launching the yatra, will release the ‘Rameswaram Resolutions’ which will be the political action document for the BJP in the state.

The padayatra will witness several grama sabha meetings and street corner meetings addressed by Annamalai. The yatra, which was scheduled to begin in April coinciding with the Tamil New Year, was postponed after the BJP sent Annamalai to oversee elections in Karnataka.

BJP leaders said the party launching the yatra from Rameswaram, a temple town that attracts lakhs of Hindu pilgrims, is also significant since it is home to a sizable number of fishermen, whom the BJP is trying to woo.