Amit Shah says money plays bigger role during elections in TN

He was visiting Coimbatore as part of strengthening the BJP's membership in the State

BJP President Amit Shah today arrived at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and spent the day with state-level workers to discuss ways and means to strengthen the saffron party in the State.

His visit comes at a time when relations between BJP and its alliance partners in Tamil Nadu are under strain. First, Vaiko-led MDMK walked away from the alliance, which was formed for Lok Sabha election. Another partner PMK has declared the party founder's son and former union minister Anbumani Ramadoss as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2016 Assembly Elections.

Shah reached Coimbatore, known as the "Manchester of South India" and from 11 am to about 4.30 pm spent time with the cadres, who assured their party president that they would work harder to make the BJP grow in the state. Tamil Nadu is one of the seven states where the party plans to expand its presence before the Assembly elections in 2016.

While addressing the state and district office bearers of the party he said, "Tamil Nadu is the number one state in the country where money plays a bigger role during elections. To prevent this, BJP should be strengthened at the booth level, so that voters can be alerted and prevented from taking money."

The report further added, quoting sources, nearly 62 million new members had been enrolled and hoped the party's target of 100 million by March 31 would be achieved in another 25 days. As far as Tamil Nadu was concerned, the membership drive had crossed 2.2 million as against the target of six million, he said.

Shah said he was ready to convene the National Executive so that Tamil Nadu could achieve the target, the sources said. Claiming that BJP polled over 170 million votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he said if the 100 million new members enrolled three each, including family members, it would reach 300 million, enabling them to easily get 370 seats in the next elections.

"With allies or without allies, the BJP will form the next government in Tamil Nadu," state BJP President Tamilisai Soundarajan to the party workers, trying to generate enthusiasm among them.

Sources said Shah did not speak about the Party's strategy other than to exhort the party workers to concentrate on strengthening the party at grassroots.