Rajnath appeals to Electorate

Chennai, Mar 20: Kicking off the BJP's election campaign here last night (Mar 20, 2006), Party President Rajnath Singh appealed to the electorate in Tamil Nadu to give a chance to the party to lead the state to development.

Mr Singh also assailed both the Dravidian parties -- the ruling AIADMK and the Opposition DMK -- for doing ''precious little'' for the development of the state despite being in power for long.

Both the parties could not eradicate poverty and unemployment, he said.

If given a decisive majority in the May eight Assembly elections, the BJP would lead the state on the path of growth, he stressed.

''Give the BJP a chance, bring Tamil Nadu to the national mainstream,'' the BJP President appealed to the people. Mr Singh said the party would also strive to get a maximum quantum of Central assistance for the state.

He charged the Centre of adopting 'minority appeasement' policy for the sake of votes and trying to 'divide the people of the country on the basis of religion.'' BJP Secretary Bandaru Dattatreya accused the UPA Government of meting out 'step motherly' treatment to the state in the allocaiton of funds for tsumani and flood relief.

Party secretary L Ganesan, former Union Ministers Rajiv Pratap Rudi and S Thirunavukkarasar and BJP state president C P Radhakrishnan also spoke at the occasion.

UNI