News18 | Mylapore Turned Saffron Today': Amit Shah Lauds Large Turnout At Rally
CHENNAI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah led a high-energy roadshow through the historic Mylapore neighborhood in South Chennai on Sunday, declaring that the constituency had been painted in the BJP's saffron hues as he sought to galvanize support for the party’s candidate in the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Accompanied by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee from the Mylapore constituency, Tamilisai Soundararajan, Shah addressed a sea of party cadres and supporters who had gathered along the route, waving party flags and cheering the Home Minister as he passed by on a campaign vehicle. In a post on the social media platform X, accompanied by a video of the roadshow, Shah proclaimed, “Mylapore turned saffron today. Watch roadshow at South Chennai,” underscoring the party’s confidence in its ability to make inroads into a state long dominated by regional Dravidian parties.
The massive turnout was a significant morale booster for the BJP, which has historically struggled to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu but is hoping to emerge as a key player in the state's political landscape. Shah’s visit was part of a final push by the party's top brass as the campaign entered its last leg before the single-phase polling.
Shah's Attack on DMK's 'Dynastic Politics'
Earlier in the day, while campaigning for BJP candidate Kirthika Shivkumar in the Modakurichi constituency, Shah launched a blistering attack on the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, accusing it of rampant corruption and dynastic politics. In a direct assault on the state’s leadership, Shah alleged that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s primary objective was to promote his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, within the party and government.
தங்களுக்கு அளித்த வாக்குறுதிகளை நிறைவேற்றத் தவறிய திமுக ஆட்சியை தமிழக மக்கள் இனி விரும்பவில்லை. மக்கள், பிரதமர் திரு. மோடி அவர்களின் தலைமையிலான தேசிய ஜனநாயகக் கூட்டணியை மட்டுமே முழுமையாக நம்புகிறார்கள். தென் சென்னையில், மயிலாப்பூரில் நடைபெற்ற பிரம்மாண்டமான சாலை பேரணியின்… pic.twitter.com/ASk9JnZQJf
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 19, 2026
"First Karunanidhi, then Stalin, and now his son. This family nepotism will never do good for the people of Tamil Nadu," Shah told a gathering of supporters, as he sought to position the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as the only credible alternative to what he termed a family-run political enterprise.
He vowed that an NDA government would "end the DMK's corruption" and appealed to voters to ensure a landslide victory for the NDA's candidates across the state. "Our government will end the DMK's corruption… I want to appeal to ensure the victory of the NDA’s BJP candidate, Kirthika Shivkumar, with a landslide victory," he said.
Promise of 'Justice for Women'
The Home Minister also trained his guns on the opposition Congress-DMK alliance, accusing them of historically obstructing women's progress in Parliament and of denying an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats allocated to Tamil Nadu. He claimed that both parties had consistently worked against the interests of the state and its women.
"Congress and DMK stopped women from coming to Parliament, and they also declined the seat increment of Tamil Nadu," Shah alleged, as he reaffirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to securing "justice for Tamil Nadu's women".
"We assure on behalf of Narendra Modi that we will do justice with Tamil Nadu and India’s women and defeat the Congress and DMK’s plan," Shah added, seeking to leverage the issue of women's reservation to galvanize support.
Election Context
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4. The high-voltage campaign has seen top leaders from all major parties crisscross the state in a bid to win over voters. The BJP is contesting as a key member of the NDA, hoping to expand its footprint beyond its traditional strongholds and emerge as a formidable force in the state's politics.
Shah's roadshow in Mylapore, a constituency with a rich cultural and political heritage, was seen as a strategic move by the party to make deep inroads into Chennai's urban electorate. The large turnout and the visible enthusiasm among the cadre have provided a significant boost to the party’s campaign machinery as it enters the final days of polling.
