Defence minister conducts roadshow in Thiruvanathapuram

Women and children waved and shook hands with Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman Monday as she participated in a roadshow criss-crossing coastal stretches along with Kummanam Rajasekharan, the BJP candidate from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat.

The constituency is witnessing a fierce triangular fight between Congress leader and sitting MP Shashi Tharoor, ruling LDF candidate C Divakaran (CPI) and Rajasekharan, the former Mizoram governor.

Local people were seen rushing to the open vehicle in which the minister was travelling along with Rajasekharan as it slowed down to greet and shake hands with her and present flowers.

Despite the late hour,women and children, who had gathered at various points, waved and shook hands with Sitharaman as the roadshow progressed.

Sitharaman had visited the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram when the Ockhi cyclone had hit the Kerala shores in December 2017 and consoled women who had lost their husbands and children.

Earlier, addressing an election meeting at Attingal, she sought votes for the BJP candidate Shobha Surendran.

"Vote for Modi, vote for Shobha Surendran and make her MP. Give us a Vishu (festival) gift," she said.

The State is celebrating Vishu, the Malayalam new year day, Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ensured corruption-free good governance during the five year tenure of the BJP-NDA government, Sitharaman said.

The minority interests had been protected. Whenever Modi went abroad, the opposition Congress ridiculed him asking if he would go to the Gulf countries and Muslim nations.

Today, Modi has got top awards from Saudi Arabia, and Iran, Sitharaman said.

Describing Modi as a visionary leader, she said it was due to his efforts that 95 per cent of the country had become open defecation free.