Modi to address election rally in Chennai on Sunday

BJP's top leadership, including Narendra Modi and L K Advani, will tour the state starting on Sunday to address election rallies, with the party's Prime Ministerial candidate kicking off the first of the series on April 13 in Chennai.

BJP National General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao told reporters that the Gujarat Chief Minister will address a public rally for the south Chennai constituency, being fought by La Ganesan.

He will come back to the state on April 16 and 17, and will tentatively tour various constituencies including Erode, Coimbatore and Krishnagiri where he will speak in support of his party candidates and those of the allies, Rao said.

"This is his first visit to the state after the declaration of the NDA in Tamil Nadu (last month)," Rao said in an apparent reference to his party firming up a six-party rainbow alliance with DMDK, PMK, MDMK, KMDK and IJK. The final list of his touring constituencies was yet to be arrived at, Rao said.

Modi was also likely to meet top Tamil actor Rajnikant in Chennai om Sunday, he said. Party patriarch Advani and National President Rajnath Singh will arrive on April 18, but their tour itinerary was yet to be finalised, he said, adding, other senior leaders, M Venkiah Naidu and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, will also tour various constituencies.

"There is intense focus from the national leadership on Tamil Nadu in reaching every nook and corner and this is our campaign objective. The tour managers of the leaders were also working out options on alliance party leaders sharing the dais with those from the BJP," he said.

A possible BJP-led government after the polls will be sensitive to the issues concerning Tamil Nadu and its people-- such as industrialisation and employment besides the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and instances of attacks on Indian fishermen by the Lankan navy, Rao said.