Nagercoli, 15 April (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a high‑voltage, well‑attended roadshow in Kanyakumari district, underscoring the BJP‑led NDA alliance’s aggressive outreach in the crucial run‑up to the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.

Joined by AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, BJP Tamil Nadu state president Nainar Nagenthran, and his predecessor K Annamalai,PM Modi stood atop a decorated vehicle, waving to a sea of supporters who had lined up on both sides of the route. The convoy moved through crowded streets, with the Prime Minister repeatedly acknowledging the crowd, flashing his signature “Modi wave,” and calling out to thousands of party workers and local residents who had turned out in large numbers.

People showered flower petals and threw streamers toward the Prime Minister’s vehicle as he embarked on the near 1.5‑kilometre roadshow, which began at the Veppamoodu junction and culminated at Vadasery in Nagercoil. Along the stretch, the atmosphere was charged with loud chants of party slogans, bursting crackers, and rhythmic drum beats, underscoring the BJP–AIADMK alliance’s attempt to project a visible ground swell of support in a traditional Opposition stronghold.

The event, held just days before polling, was clearly designed to capitalise on the NDA’s consolidation in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. By choosing Kanyakumari – a region with a strong Dravidian‑political footprint – the BJP and its allies sought to signal that they are no longer confined to a sporadic, urban‑centric base, but are now actively contesting across every constituency in the state.

Observers noted that Modi’s presence, flanked by both AIADMK and BJP leaders, was intended to project unity and discipline within the alliance, while also reinforcing the image of a coordinated campaign that blends the ruling party’s national narrative with the regional‑party machinery on the ground.

For the hundreds of thousands of party cadres and curious onlookers who thronged the streets, the roadshow doubled as a symbolic statement of intent: that the NDA is betting heavily on a broader share of the vote in Tamil Nadu beyond its traditional strongholds.

With the clock ticking down to April 23, the Kanyakumari roadshow has added another layer of momentum to the BJP‑AIADMK campaign, turning the district’s narrow streets into a high‑visibility stage where national leadership meets local aspirations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar