BJP Marks 12 Years in Power: Lohia Family Visit, Tamil Nadu Thaw, Office Family Connect

Union Minister of State for Finance and Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary on Sunday visited the family of socialist ideologue late Ram Manohar Lohia in Lucknow. The visit was part of the party's ongoing initiative to meet intellectuals and prominent citizens on the completion of 12 years of the Narendra Modi government.

The Samajwadi Party, the principal opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, considers Lohia its guiding light and organises programmes on his birth and death anniversaries. While the BJP officially termed the meeting a courtesy call, a senior party leader said that since the Lohia family is not affiliated with any political party, the BJP briefed them on key welfare programmes of the Modi government.

In a separate development, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's ongoing visit to Tamil Nadu has shown a thaw in relations with the state government. Sitharaman, who had previously drawn criticism from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and Chief Minister M. K. Stalin for remarks about Periyar, recently welcomed TVK's announcement that it favoured cordial relations with the Centre. She also defended the Chief Minister for using 'Kutty Stories' in the Assembly, a move that had drawn criticism from the DMK. BJP insiders noted that a video of Sitharaman's visit to Higginbothams bookstore in Chennai was well-received by the public.

Meanwhile, at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party chief Nitin Nabin listened to Prime Minister Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' programme on Sunday alongside office staff and employees. According to party insiders, while some staff had attended Nabin's housewarming earlier this month, many could not due to other commitments. On Sunday, the entire BJP 'office family' had the opportunity to interact with party leadership during the broadcast.