Amit Shah begins 110-day nationwide tour, arrives in Puducherry

Puducherry: BJP chief Amit Shah arrived for his two-day visit on Monday as part of his 110-day nationwide tour to strengthen the party. Shah, on his second visit to the union territory after assuming charge of the party, garlanded a statue of Tamil poet Subramania Bharathiyar near the Raj Nivas and later attended a meeting of office bearers of the party’s Puducherry unit. Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan and BJP national secretary H Raja were among those who accompanied him during his visit to Puducherry and the party’s programmes. Media persons were kept out of bounds from the meeting held at a five-star hotel. [caption id=“attachment_3747445” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Amit Shah. Reuters[/caption] Meanwhile opposition AINRC leader in Puducherry Assembly and former Chief Minister N Rangasamy, whose party has already pledged support to NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind, led a team of party legislators to meet Shah at the hotel. Though AINRC has eight members in the Assembly only five, including Rangasamy, met Shah. AINRC sources said the meeting was a courtesy call. Three of the four AIADMK (Amma) faction legislators led by A Anbalagan and AIADMK member of Parliament from Puducherry N Gokulakrishnan also met the BJP chief. AIADMK (Amma) sources also called the meet a courtesy call. Shah is scheduled to hold a meeting with local industrialists and traders later on Monday. Earlier, on Shah’s arrival, a huge rally was taken out by party cadres through important thoroughfares from the airport to the town. Shah had earlier visited Puducherry in August 2015. He will visit Auroville on Tuesday before wrapping up his visit.