In election-bound Tamil Nadu, Nadda celebrates Pongal today

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 13

BJP president JP Nadda will be in poll-bound Tamil Nadu tomorrow where he will participate in several programmes on Pongal, the multi-day harvest festival celebrated in South India, particularly in the Tamil community. After participating in the event — Namma Ooru Pongal — he will also address Thuglak magazine’s 51st anniversary function at Kalaivanar Arangam, according to the itinerary issued by party’s media head Anil Baluni.

Banking heavily on megastar Rajinikanth, the saffron party appears to have also changed tack regarding relations with regional ally AIADMK after his decision to remain away from politics. Saffron leaders, who were earlier insisting that the NDA would take call on the chief ministerial candidate, now say their regional ally (the AIADMK) would decide on that for the Assembly elections due in April-May this year.

“In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK is the major partner. They will decide who their next CM candidate is,” BJP national general secretary and in-charge of Tamil Nadu CT Ravi was quoted as saying. The formal announcement regarding it would be made by the NDA coordination committee, they also add.

The AIADMK has already passed a resolution that incumbent Edappadi K Palaniswami will be the CM face. Earlier, Ravi had said the NDA would decide on the issue after winning the poll.