Amit Shah meets Kerala, Tamil Nadu leaders

Kochi, Feb 4 BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday held meetings with top leaders of the state BJP units from Tamil Nadu and Kerala on preparations for the upcoming assembly elections.

Four central ministers -- Health Minister J.P. Nadda, Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan -- attended the meeting.

A source from the Bharatiya Janata Party told IANS that it was a meeting of the core committee of the respective state units and was meant to give "broad directions" on how to go forward for the assembly polls due in both states.

Nadda is also the BJP in-charge of Kerala, where elections to the 140-seat assembly are scheduled to be held later this year.

"Separate meetings were held for Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the state presidents of the BJP, former state presidents and general secretaries were present," said the source on condition of anonymity.

After the meeting with Shah, RSS strongman Kummanem Rajashekeran, who was recently appointed the president of the BJP's Kerala unit, told reporters: "Our doors are always open to groups, political parties who toe our line of policies and this time we are contesting the polls to rule Kerala."

Shah later addressed a party rally in Kottayam, held as part of the statewide political yatra of Rajashekeran.

The BJP does not have any member in the current Kerala assembly.