BJP’s southern outreach

With reference to the Editorial ‘Southern push’ (March 25), the BJP's nuanced strategy in Southern States signifies a strategic recalibration to address the varied political terrains across the region. By tailoring its approach to local contexts and sensitivities, the party seeks to penetrate regions historically less amenable to its ideology, potentially strengthening its foothold in Southern India. The upcoming Lok Sabha elections will serve as a litmus test for the efficacy of these strategies, with factors like coalitionbuilding, candidate selection, and issue prioritisation pivotal in determining the BJP’s ability to expand its influence in the South. This adaptive approach underscores the party's recognition of the importance of regional dynamics and its commitment to broadening its appeal beyond traditional strongholds.

Amarjeet Kumar Hazaribagh, Jharkhand

This refers to 'Export of Vande Bharat trains on the right track' (March 25). The 'Train 18' named as Vande Bharat (VB) has been making rapid strides since its launch.

The Railway Ministry's plan to manufacture Standard Gauge version of VB to meet the demands of South American nations and Broad Gauge version of VB to Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina are remarkable.

The number of VB trains on track has now reached half a century. Two thirds of it has only eight coaches which is not in sync with the actual demands.

With the number of coaches restricted to eight for most of the VB trains, could be due to technical reasons, steps must be take to increase the coaches to 16 to cater to the rising demand.

RV Baskaran Chennai