The Lok Sabha Elections are scheduled to begin on April 19, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a five-day tour of southern India to woo the voters. His next stop on Monday will be Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, where he will lead a mega Roadshow. After a security evaluation by the Special Protection Group (SPG), Modi's roadshow has been shortened from 4 km to 2.5 km. Initially, local police had denied permission for the roadshow due to security concerns, Coimbatore's historical communal tensions, and potential inconvenience, particularly for students. However, the Madras High Court granted permission on Friday. 


Security Hightened Amid Model Code Of Conduct 


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The rally will be held under the model code of conduct and will cover areas starting from Saibaba Colony to the DB Road junction in RS Puram, spanning the time between 5:45 pm and 6:45 pm. After Madras High Court's directive, comprehensive security surveillance has been implemented in the city, particularly in regions surrounding the roadshow, and there was an increase in vehicle inspections throughout other areas of the city.  


As per reports, approximately 5,000 police officers from Coimbatore and neighboring districts, along with 100 officials from the special protection group responsible for the prime minister's safety, arrived on Saturday. 



BJP Stronger In Coimbatore 


The Prime Minister, who has set a target of 400 seats for the NDA in this election, is embarking on his fifth visit to Tamil Nadu. During his visits, he has squarely targeted the ruling DMK and its allies, including the Congress, criticising their involvement in various scandals while positioning himself as a champion of development. 


Although the BJP's presence in Tamil Nadu is minimal, it holds a comparatively stronger foothold in Coimbatore. This region has witnessed sensitive law-and-order situations, notably the series of bomb blasts in 1998 targeting senior BJP leader LK Advani. These blasts resulted in the loss of nearly 60 lives.