Strengthen BJP in seven coastal states to be in Centre for long: Shah to party workers

Amit Shah is in Tamil Nadu as part of strengthening the party before the 2016 elections

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has to strengthen its presence in the seven states in the country's coastal area, including Tamil Nadu, to rule the country for a long term, said the party president Amit Shah.

Addressing a public rally in Maraimalai Nagar, in the suburbs of Chennai, he said that the party should strengthen its presence in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam, which would politically strengthen the party to rule the country for a long term. It may be noted that Shah's visit to Chennai is considered as part of the party's efforts to strengthen its presence in the state, with an aim to get more votes during the 2016 Assembly elections.

He asked the BJP members in Tamil Nadu to strengthen the party in the state by adding more members to the party. Tamil film music director Gangai Amaran along with some other famous individuals have joined the party today.

He added that Modi should be in power in centre for more years, if Tamil Nadu and the people in the state are to live with self-respect and dignity.

Taking on the recent comments of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi asking what BJP has done in the last six months, he alleged Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, in which regional political party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was a member, was involved in varous scams aggregating to around Rs 12 lakh crore.