Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Tamil Nadu on Friday to launch the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in the strategically important southern state. He will address a massive public rally in Madurathakam, aiming to rally support for the NDA alliance.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s high-profile visit, Union Minister and Tamil Nadu election in-charge Piyush Goyal has already arrived in Chennai. Goyal has been holding multiple meetings with alliance partners to ensure the success of PM Modi’s event.
Why is Tamil Nadu important for BJP?
The BJP has delivered an impressive performance in the recently held state elections and local body polls across India. The party has successfully expanded its presence in several states previously dominated by opposition parties. Notably, the BJP formed the government in Delhi after 27 years and is on track to elect its first-ever mayor in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The party also made significant gains in Kerala’s local body elections, managing to secure the mayoral position in Thiruvananthapuram. In West Bengal, the BJP sent 77 MLAs to the Assembly in the 2021 elections, up from just three in 2016, significantly eroding the influence of the Congress and left parties.
Tamil Nadu remains an exception, where the BJP has struggled to make an impact. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the party won only 4 of the 20 seats it contested in alliance with the AIADMK. The coalition broke before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP chose to contest independently, buoyed by the confidence of the then state unit chief, K Annamalai. However, the party failed to win a single seat.
Currently, the BJP has renewed its alliance with the AIADMK and other regional partners in an effort to strengthen its foothold in the Dravidian-dominated state.
Who's in alliance and who could join before polls
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) of Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) of Anbumani Ramadoss, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) of TTV Dhinakaran, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) of GK Vasan, Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) of TR Paarivendhar, Puthiya Needhi Katchi (PNK) of AC Shanmugam, Indhiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam (IMKMK) of T Devanathan Yadav, Puratchi Bharatham Katchi (PBK) of Poovai Jagan Moorthy and Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) led by John Pandian are the current NDA partners in Tamil Nadu.
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) of Premlatha Vijayakanth, Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) of Dr K Krishnasamy and O Panneerselvam (OPS) are expected to join the NDA in Tamil Nadu.
