The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) chief GK Vasan on Monday (February 26) announced that his party would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the BJP-led NDA. Vasan said that he will also attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting at Palladam in Tirupur district on February 27.
"Tamil Maanila Congress, as part of NDA will face the coming elections under BJP's leadership," he said.
This is the first official tie-up the BJP has pulled off in Tamil Nadu ahead of the general elections, in which the party is aiming to win 370 seats on its own and 400 as NDA.
Severes ties with AIADMK
A part of the AIADMK-led NDA coalition in Tamil Nadu that faced the 2021 Assembly polls, Vasan's announcement signals his party's end of ties with the AIADMK.
In September 2023, Edappadi K Palaniswami-headed AIADMK had announced severing ties with the BJP.
Vasan said his party, ever since the days of its founding by his late father and veteran leader GK Moopanar, has had a "national outlook" and said the decision to join hands with the BJP included issues like welfare of Tamil Nadu and Tamils and a strong and prosperous India.
Tamil Nadu voters had witnessed BJP winning the two earlier elections with good support from other states and want the saffron party to earn a third term to ensure economic development, betterment of the poor. They have 'realised' that another term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead to economic prosperity and reduction in poverty, among others, he said.
