CHENNAI: Chairing a meeting with members of BJP’s Tamil Nadu core committee to review poll preparedness in a city hotel on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed them to gear up with a counter narrative to DMK during election campaign. He instructed senior functionaries to target M K Stalin-led govt on the state’s financial situation and what the party described as failure to effectively utilise funds from the Centre.“Our leader sought ground-level feedback and discussed strategies to counter the DMK’s narrative against BJP, particularly on language sentiment and fund allocation for various schemes. He instructed us to prepare a strong counter narrative as the campaign enters the final stage,” a senior BJP functionary said, referring to the two-hour-long interaction. Modi held one-on-one discussions with some leaders and sought their views as well.Union minister and Tamil Nadu BJP in-charge Piyush Goyal, state BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran and his predecessors K Annamalai, L Murugan and Tamilisai Soundararajan, along with Vanathi Srinivasan, attended the meeting. Modi also encouraged senior leaders to work towards improving the party’s performance in the assembly election.Party sources said Goyal’s stay in Tamil Nadu is likely to be extended, with the leadership keen that the party does not see a drop in its tally. The BJP won four of the 20 seats it contested in the 2021 assembly election and has been allotted 27 seats in AIADMK-led alliance for the April 23 poll.BJP chief ministers, including Devendra Fadnavis, Rekha Gupta, Yogi Adityanath, Mohan Yadav and Bhajan Lal Sharma, along with other national-level leaders, are likely to campaign for the party and its allies from next week.Goyal’s interaction with journalists later in the day, targeting DMK govt over governance and rising debt, was part of the BJP’s broader campaign strategy to corner the ruling party, sources added.Releasing a white paper titled ‘Tamil Nadu Government Financial Crisis’, Goyal told reporters that Tamil Nadu’s industries, fishermen and talented youth worked hard and generated resources for the state and demanded to know how the funds were utilised. “Despite this, the treasury stands depleted. Where has the money gone?” he asked.Goyal alleged that despite receiving substantial devolution from the Centre, including additional funds of Rs 80,000 crore during Narendra Modi-led govt’s tenure, state govt failed to explain how the money was utilised.Accusing chief minister M K Stalin and his family members, including Udhayanidhi Stalin, Kanimozhi and V Sabarisan, of “looting” the state, Goyal said public finances were pushed into distress due to mismanagement.
