From Appam to Idyapam: PM Modi to Chair Cluster Meet Today for NDA's Mission South; Special Dinner Menu on Cards

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a cluster meeting on Wednesday evening in the Parliament Annexe building with NDA MPs from the South as the BJP prepares to strengthen its strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The primary agenda of the meeting will focus on how the BJP-led NDA can enhance its prospects in the Southern part of the country, particularly in states where the party has faced challenges in the past.

Apart from Karnataka, which has been one of the oldest organisations of the BJP, recent political results haven’t been favorable for the saffron party.

Southern Flavours

In the last meeting held on Monday, the Prime Minister spoke about the importance of understanding the cultures of all political parties and states within the NDA to convey a united message.

Keeping the same spirit in mind, a lot of thought has gone into the dinner menu for the MPs after the meeting. This meeting is jointly being hosted by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and MOS External Affairs V Muraleedharan.

From appam to idiyappam, vegetable stew and coconut Milk, ragi dosa, sambhar, lemon rice, dal pappu, stuffed brinjal, a range of special chutneys, along with several vegetarian delicacies, will be served to the MPs and other guests.

Karnataka Poll Drubbing

After the recent Assembly poll drubbing in Karnataka, there has been a renewed push by the BJP-led NDA on its southern electoral run.

In Tamil Nadu, the BJP has an alliance with AIADMK and a host of smaller regional parties. In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP is in an alliance with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party. At present, the only NDA government is in Puducherry.

BJP’s Southern Strategy

Out of the 130 MPs in South India, only 29 are from the BJP. Southern India has proven to be a challenging terrain for the saffron party. The region has been a battleground of ideologies, particularly in states like Kerala. Restrategising would also entail having a clear plan to address issues such as welfare politics and Hindutva, where the states hold different perspectives.

However, the BJP has been increasingly giving representation to its leaders from the South, including in top decision-making bodies like the Parliamentary Board. Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is one such example.

Three of the seven Morcha chiefs are from the South – Tejasvi Surya (Yuva Morcha), K Laxman (OBC Morcha) and Vanathi Srinivasan (Mahila Morcha).