After tea, now NaMo fish stalls in TN

Cashing in on the success of Narendra Modi tea stalls, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched ‘NaMo mobile fish stalls’ campaign here to reach out to the electorate ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Under the initiative, the party would sell several varieties of fish at subsidised rates in the five coastal districts of the State, including Chennai, Rameshwaram, Kanniyakumari, Nagapattinam and Nagercoil, besides offering doorstep delivery for booking done through phone.

With Parliament elections approaching, these fish stalls are expected to help BJP build on the issue of attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen from coastal areas by the Sri Lankan Navy.

To mark the launching of the initiative, the BJP distributed variety of fish, measuring up to 500 gm, free of cost to about 200 people in Chennai.

“The mobile stall with 150 kg of fresh fish varieties, including the popular Sankara, will be regularly sold at subsidised price,”  S Satishkumar, head of the Tamil Nadu BJP fishermen wing, told Deccan Herald. He said the NaMo mobile fish stalls would tour all the Assembly constituencies in Chennai. “In the second phase, the stalls will come up in other districts,” he added.

In addition, the party is also planning permanent stalls in various parts of Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. “We are searching for shops on rent at good locations. Depending on the response from the people, we will open several shops,” Satishkumar said.

BJP national executive member L Ganesan, who is a vegetarian, said: “Fish is not only treated as food, but it is worshipped as god by the Hindus as the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu was Mathsya Avatharam (incarnation of fish) of the total ten avatars called Dasavatharam”.