Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the installation of the “sacred Sengol” in Parliament was an attempt to draw inspiration from the model of good governance that the Tamil heritage has given the country, in an apparent attempt to woo the people of the key southern state with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls.

Modi was addressing a public meeting at Tiruchirappalli after inaugurating and laying the foundation for a host of development projects on the first day of his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep and Kerala. The selection of South for Modi’s first outreach in the election year is seen as an attempt by the BJP to make inroads into the region where it has a marginal presence.

“It is a matter of immense joy that my first public programme of 2024 took place in the great state of Tamil Nadu and that too among our Yuva Shakti,” Modi posted on X, after attending the convocation ceremony of Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli.

Although the official nature of the event with chief minister M.K. Stalin and
governor N. Ravi on the stage restrained Modi from making an outright political speech, he still sought to strike a chord with the people of Tamil Nadu.

“I had lots of Tamil friends with whom I had a very cordial relation and I learnt a lot about Tamil culture from them,” Modi said in Hindi which was translated into Tamil for the crowd. “I cannot stop myself from talking about Tamil Nadu wherever I go in the world,” he added.

He heaped praises on Tamil culture and brought up the “Sengol” or sceptre that he had installed in the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building. “Indians are proud of the vibrant culture and heritage of Tamil Nadu... You must have seen that the sacred Sengol was installed in the new Parliament building. It was an attempt to draw inspiration from the model of good governance that the Tamil heritage has given to the country,” he said.

This outreach comes in the backdrop of speculation that Modi was seriously weighing the option of contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from a constituency in Tamil Nadu in addition to Varanasi that he represents now.

Addressing a rally in Vellore last year to mark nine years of the Modi government, home minister Amit Shah had appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu to elect 25 NDA MPs as a thank-you gesture to Modi for the installation of “Sengol” in Parliament.

Modi referred to the recent heavy rains and losses that the state suffered and said he was deeply moved by the condition of the affected families. He also paid rich tributes to DMDK leader Vijayakanth who passed away recently. He termed Vijayakanth a politician “who always put national interest above everything”.

The Prime Minister claimed that over 40 central ministers had visited Tamil Nadu more than 400 times in the last one year, seeking to emphasise that the BJP government cared for the people of the Opposition-ruled state. “When Tamil Nadu will progress rapidly, the country will also progress rapidly,” he said.

“Tamil Nadu is becoming the big brand ambassador of Make in India,” he said, referring to big investments in different sectors in the state.

On Wednesday, Modi is scheduled to address a big gathering of women in Kerala’s Thrissur, an effort by the state BJP to congratulate Modi for the passage of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament.

Despite its all-out efforts, the BJP has failed to make any credible inroads in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and now Modi is seen striving to get some foothold with an eye on the upcoming general elections.