PM Modi’s Chennai roadshow plan dropped amid delay in BJP finalising candidates

CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dropped the plan to hold a roadshow at T Nagar in Chennai on Saturday against the backdrop of confusion over finalising BJP’s candidate list for Tamil Nadu election.A meeting with around 150 functionaries, including state-level office-bearers and district secretaries during his visit has also been cancelled in Chennai, party sources said. Modi is scheduled to reach Chennai on Friday and would head to Puducherry for a roadshow there for NDA candidates.According to the schedule, Modi will reach Chennai by 3pm, take a chopper to Puducherry and hold the roadshow around 4pm. He will return to Chennai before 7pm and stay overnight for the closed-door meeting next morning.

He will leave soon after the meeting, said BJP sources. However, BJP leaders chose not to offer any reason for the change in the Chennai roadshow plan.BJP leaders said Union minister and Tamil Nadu poll in-charge Piyush Goyal, who will accompany Modi to Puducherry will return to Chennai later in the day and was expected to finalise the candidate list.The closed-door meeting is planned in Chennai with Modi, Goyal and senior TN functionaries, said a BJP leader.

State BJP president Nainar Nagenthran told reporters that there was neither confusion nor delay in finalising the candidate list. “There is no delay, and the list will be released after discussions with Piyush Goyal.”BJP leaders said they have shortlisted three names for each of the six constituencies, which were undecided, and sent them to the party’s parliamentary board. “Now the decision rests with the high command,’’ said a BJP leader.On the question of BJP former state president K Annamalai contesting, it was up to the parliamentary board to take the final call, said the leader. During Goyal’s earlier visit to Chennai this week, he had asked Annamalai to contest in one of the seats allotted to BJP. Annamalai indicated willingness to contest from any of the six Assembly segments within the Coimbatore parliamentary constituency. His name was also discussed for Tirupur South and Modakurichi.AIADMK, however, has not agreed to the BJP’s request to swap a few seats to accommodate Annamalai in one of the segments he had sought for. “If he has to contest, it will have to be outside Coimbatore unless Vanathi Srinivasan gives up Coimbatore North, which is unlikely,” another senior BJP leader said.Meanwhile, Annamalai met AIADMK candidates in Coimbatore, including K R Jayaram (Singanallur) and P R G Arunkumar (Kavundampalayam), two constituencies from where he was under consideration and assured support to them.