Coimbatore: Nirmala Sitharaman joins all-women poll rally for Annamalai

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Apr 13 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman participated in an all-women election rally taken out here on Saturday by the party's women wing members in support of state president and Coimbatore candidate K Annamalai.

She was accompanied by Coimbatore south MLA and Mahila Morcha national president Vanathi Srinivasan and Annamalai.

Later, speaking to reporters, Sitharaman said that based on her interaction with women self-help group members and other sections, it was clear that people decided to support the BJP in the April 19 Lok Sabha elections.

"They would ensure a clear mandate to Annamalai too," Sitharaman said at the conclusion of the massive rally.

The Union finance minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only launched numerous welfare schemes but also reviewed the implementation and made sure that the benefits reached the people.

"During my interaction, women said they benefited from the Central schemes," she said, referring to her interaction with SHG members and MGNREGA workers in Tiruppur, and farmers and villagers of Arasur village in Sulur block of Coimbatore district.

Earlier, campaigning for Union Minister and candidate for Nilgiris L Murugan at Avinasi, she accused the DMK of doing politics with "drug money" and urged the people to reject the "Drugs Munnetra Kazhagam." PTI