Tamil Nadu: Leaders from several parties join BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, various leaders from different political parties joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of the state president, K. Annamalai, in Chennai on Saturday. Union Minister L. Murugan was also present on the occasion.

The leaders who joined the saffron party include AIADMK former Rajya Sabha MP Vijayakumar, Makkal Needhi Maiyam Party Propaganda Secretary Anusha Ravi and her supporters. The son of Mukaiyah Devar and former Tamil Nadu Forward Block Party leader Muthuramalingam also joined the BJP on Saturday.

After joining the party, Anusha Ravi expressed happiness, saying that she is fond of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wants to see him as PM for the third time. "Many cadres from the Makkal Needhi Maiyam party are upset due to not contesting the parliament election. That's one of the main reasons I resigned from the MNM party and I'm very happy and fond of PM Modi and want to see him as PM for the third time," she said.

Earlier in the day, famous singer Anuradha Paudwal joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party's headquarters in New Delhi. Paudwal joined the BJP in the presence of its senior leaders, including Arun Singh and chief spokesperson Anil Baluni.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for Lok Sabha and four state assembly elections. The general election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases from April 19, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday. The counting will be held on June 4. (ANI)

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