COIMBATORE: BJP's local unit on Tuesday requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami to allot suitable land here for erecting a statue of late former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee .

In a letter to the Chief Minister, a copy of which was released to the media, the coordinator of the party's Coimbatore unit G K S Selvakumar said Vajpayee was instrumental in the growth of the city by implementing various developmental projects, particularly in the railway sector, during his tenure as Prime minister from 1998.

Besides, the city witnessed exponential growth with the completion of the golden quadrilateral highway network connecting major cities across the country, he said.

In view of this, the state government should consider providing suitable land for Vajpayee's statue, he said.

