TN BJP eyeing giant leap in vote share, best-ever electoral show in southern state

Chennai, June 3 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP is awaiting a giant leap in its voter share coupled with the highest number of Lok Sabha seats in the southern state, if the Exit Poll projections by most agencies hold true. 

With the counting of votes for the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu scheduled to commence at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the BJP has reasons to feel upbeat after most of the Exit Polls -- national and regional -- predicted the NDA to win a few seats in the state besides increasing its vote share to double-digit figures.

In fact, for only the second time in Tamil Nadu, the BJP this time is a contender for Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu without being in an alliance with either of the two Dravidian parties, the DMK and the AIADMK.

While some of the Exit Polls predicted 6 seats for the BJP, some even forecast up to 8 seats for the party. The state unit of the BJP is pinning hopes on winning a minimum of six seats along with its allies.

Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad told IANS, “We are expecting a minimum of 6 seats which may go up to 10 seats. Our alliance partners, including the PMK and the AMMK, will also do well, while Independent candidate and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam is also in a neck and neck fight in Ramanathapuram.”

If the Exit Poll projections hold true on Tuesday, it could be termed as a huge win for the BJP in making inroads in Tamil politics in a big way.

Last year, state BJP President K. Annamalai entered into a confrontation and engaged in a war of words with its then alliance partner AIADMK, leading to the latter snapping its ties with the NDA on September 25, 2023.

As the BJP went solo in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it received a shot in the arm after the PMK, the political arm of the powerful Vanniyar community, allied with the BJP, as it can tilt votes in the alliance's favour in northern Tamil Nadu and in some seats in western parts of the state.

If the BJP wins 6-8 eight seats, the mainstream politics of Tamil Nadu, which has so far been dominated by the DMK and the AIADMK, might see a major change.  

The BJP is already trying hard to replace the AIADMK as the principal opposition party in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections. 

Speaking to IANS, Jacob Thomas, a political analyst and psephologist, said, “Ever since Annamalai became the state BJP chief, the party has been aggressive in coming out strongly against both the Dravidian majors, DMK and AIADMK. It also led to the snapping of ties between the AIADMK and the BJP. 

"While many eyebrows were raised when Annamali went hammer and tong against the AIADMK, leading to the snapping of ties, a convincing show in the Lok Sabha polls will make it clear that Annamalai was right in his outbursts, and the BJP as a political outfit has come of age in Tamil Nadu.”

He also said that winning a few seats in the Lok Sabha elections would directly lead to the BJP gaining ground across the state, and would turn the tables on the AIADMK as the principal opposition party in the state.

C. Rajeev, Director at Centre for Policy and Development Studies, a think-tank based out of Chennai, told IANS, "Tamil politics requires a leader who can carry the party, and the BJP seems to have found that man in Annamalai. 

"While M.K. Stalin helped the DMK fill the vacuum left by Karunanidhi's passing to some extent, after Jayalalithaa’s demise, the AIADMK could not project such a leader as Edappadi K. Palaniswami cannot somehow position himself in that league. 

"This is where Annamalai comes in. He has placed himself in the big league of Tamil politics which no leader of the BJP could do till now. This has definitely made the difference.”

To recall, BJP leaders C.P. Radhakrishnan and Pon Radhakrishnan had won the Lok Sabha elections from Coimbatore and Kanyakumari before, but these were in alliance with either the DMK or the AIADMK.

--IANS

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