"Connect With Voters, Hold Meets": PM's Advice To Tamil Nadu BJP Workers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday interacted with BJP workers through the Namo App and discussed fieldwork at the booth level for the Lok Sabha polls with them, encouraging them to devise a strategy for the party to win the elections.

Discussing ways to win the election at the 'Enathu Booth Valimaiyana Booth' (My booth is the strongest) programme, he encouraged the party workers to strive towards ensuring the victory of the BJP and NDA candidates.

"I understand you are facing a paucity of time owing to the general election scheduled for April 19 in Tamil Nadu. You hardly have 15-16 days left (since election campaigning ends 48 hours before polling day). Organise yourselves well, connect with the voters, highlight our achievements and hold tiffin or lunch meetings amongst you to discuss the next step," the prime minister said.

Referring to the government's focus on women-led development, Modi sought to know from a party worker the schemes that have been the most liked and talked about by women. The PM expressed happiness that the party worker has been working at the grassroots level.

A woman participant from Tiruvarur spoke specifically about schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and Jal Jeevan Mission. She said she and others from the area are farm workers and that these schemes have helped them carry on their work with ease.

Sharing his experience of his initial years in the party, PM Modi urged the booth-level workers to organise themselves into small groups of three members each having at least one woman in it, and meet 10 families daily.

"Sit with those families, discuss with them and even extend what help you possibly could. And in the night discuss among yourselves the people's requirements and plan your strategy accordingly," he said and added that this would ensure the party an easy victory.

PM Modi also told them to hold a meeting once in three or four days with women, first-time voters, fishermen, farmers and even beneficiaries of the central schemes to explain the achievements of the BJP government.

Further, they were told to take advantage of the anti-incumbency sentiment against the DMK government. 

"Governance in Tamil Nadu has been in bad shape since the DMK government and its allies came to power in Tamil Nadu," he said, alleging that the ruling party was responsible for corruption, law and order problems and the drug trade.

"All such issues need to be communicated to every family in the booth," PM Modi said.

Drugs destroyed the lives of our children, he said. "A huge cache of drugs was seized recently and its godfathers are linked to Tamil Nadu, which is worrisome. Therefore, you should make people aware of the menace of drugs, and fight against it," he emphasised.

He said that political analysts believe the BJP would turn the tables in Tamil Nadu and that the "anger against the ruling party" in the state will be vented out during the election. "These dynastic political parties mean 'of the family, by the family and for the family'. This very expression sums up the dynastic parties," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)