CHENNAI: After tea, it’s time for some fish.

Building on the success of Narendra Modi tea stalls in reaching out to the electorate, the state unit plans to launch NaMo fish stalls in five districts, including Chennai.

Never mind that the party’s prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister is a vegetarian. His state has the country’s longest coastline, a geographical feature similar to Tamil Nadu with its vast shores and a penchant for fish.

With Lok Sabha elections approaching, these fish stalls are expected to help BJP build on the issue of attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen from Rameswaram, Kanyakumari, Nagercoil, Nagapattinam and other coastal areas by the Sri Lankan navy. This will also help the party woo fisherfolk, a significant vote bank. Support from various sections is welcome for BJP, which still lacks a strong alliance in the state.

The stalls, on the first day, will distribute fish to 200 people free and then sell various varieties at a subsidised rate. “The first fish stall will be opened at Light House in Chennai on February 25. It will be a mobile shop, where we will give fish free to 200 persons. We will sell fish at a subsidised price later,” S Satishkumar, head of the state unit’s fishermen wing.

The party will also open permanent stalls in various parts of Chennai, apart from Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram. “We are scouting for shops on rent. Depending on the success in getting shops, we will open as many shops as possible,” Satishkumar said.

Fish varieties like sardines, seer fish and prawns will be sold at the stalls. “The fish sold by us will be cheaper than the government-owned stalls. Seer fish available at government stalls for Rs 650 a kg will be sold for Rs 600 in NaMo stalls,” said Satishkumar.

The party has been trying to woo the fishermen community with its leader Sushma Swaraj meeting fishermen and their families affected by Lankan attacks in Rameswaram recently. Modi himself, in public meetings in Trichy and Vandalur, raised the fishermen issue and criticized the Centre for failing to persuade the Lankan government to stop attacks on fishermen.

The fishermen issue is likely to be the main local plank of the saffron party in its campaign as it does not want to antagonize Dravidian parties, with an eye on post-poll alliance. With the fishermen issue, the party directly takes on the Congress-led government without taking pot-shots at AIADMK or DMK, political analysts said.

“If attacks on our fishermen continue, BJP will definitely make it the main issue during our campaign. A simple solution of providing aid to fishermen to practise deep-sea fishing could have solved this issue but the Centre has failed,” senior party leader L Ganesan told TOI.

The recent fishermen talks gave some hope but the attacks continue, and the Centre is unable to act on this issue, said Ganesan. Fishermen complain that not only are the Lankan army and navy involved in the attacks, even Chinese are involved. Only a strong Centre can tackle the issue, said Ganesan.