Chennai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been amplifying its rhetoric in Tamil Nadu and trying to position itself as the main opposition party for the past three years. But in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election, it is now struggling to find a place in the campaign rhetoric.
The two main Dravidian parties — the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) — have decided to keep the fight between each other, virtually turning it into a bipolar contest.
Since 1967, it has been either the DMK or the AIADMK that has ruled the state. This has continued for over 56 years, and no national party has got a foothold in Tamil Nadu.
Of late, the DMK and the AIADMK have repeatedly trivialised the BJP in their campaigns as a “meagre party” and “a party without booth committee members”, and chosen to direct their criticism and responses to each other only.
Though it seemed like a fight between the DMK and the BJP in the initial phases of the election campaign, the DMK and the AIADMK have now realised that the BJP is trying to centre itself in the political discourse in the state and decided to ignore the party, said political analysts.
The BJP, added political analysts, intends to take the runner-up position in the Lok Sabha election and become the prime opposition before the state polls in 2026.
According to the Dravidian parties, there is no space for any “outside party” in the state. But, the BJP said the reaction of the Dravidian parties is out of fear of losing the Lok Sabha election.
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Dravidian parties ignoring BJP
At the introduction meeting of candidates in Coimbatore on 23 March, AIADMK former minister S.P. Velumani first emphasised that the real fight is with the DMK, and that the BJP set to get the third position.
Velumani even mocked the BJP, asking the party to get booth committee members before competing with the AIADMK.
This rhetoric was picked up soon by Tamil Nadu Minister for Industries T.R.B Rajaa, the DMK in-charge for Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency, where former mayor Ganapathy P. Rajkumar is contesting against BJP state president K. Annamalai.
On 25 March when reporters asked him about Annamalai’s criticism of the DMK manifesto, Rajaa said the DMK would respond only to issues raised by the main opposition party, i.e., AIADMK. He also said he did not want to lose focus by responding to “sundry” parties.
The rhetoric soon gained momentum when AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami went hard on the BJP, saying the five MLAs that the BJP have now are because of his party.
At an election campaign in Chidambaram, Palaniswami said that national parties — the Congress or the BJP — needed the regional parties only at elections.
“That’s why we did not join hands with the national party (this election). We should function independently to protect our state rights,” he said, adding the real fight is between the AIADMK and the DMK.
Later, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin ‘thanked’ Palaniswami for finally realising that the real fight is between the two parties.
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DMK versus AIADMK leaders
Political analyst A. Ramasamy, former head of the Tamil department at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, said the real intention of the BJP is not to win the Lok Sabha election but to end up as runner-up to the ruling DMK and then pitch itself as the prime opposition in 2026.
“The BJP can become the runner-up only if it wins one or two seats in this election, or if it secures more percentage of votes than the AIADMK. The party is trying to position itself at the centre of the political discourse. It wants everybody to react to what it pitches as an election issue,” said Ramasamy.
Until last week, while Stalin and other senior DMK leaders targeted the Prime Minister and the Union government over state rights, only his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, also the sports minister, was targeting AIADMK’s Palaniswami.
However, in the last few days, the senior DMK leaders have shifted their focus towards Palaniswami.
“Only if Edappadi Palaniswami fights and reacts to the DMK, the DMK leaders can respond to it and keep the fight between them. That’s why M.K. Stalin thanked Palaniswami,” Ramasamy said.
Ramasamy also said that initially, the Dravidian parties had fallen into the strategy trap of the BJP. “However, both of them seem to have realised now and are up in arms to keep the BJP at bay.”
When asked about it, AIADMK spokesperson R.M. Babu Murugavel said the fight had always been between the Dravidian parties. “Since the Dravidian party (DMK) became the ruling party in 1967, the fight has been between the two major Dravidian parties only. The Congress and the BJP only took piggyback rides on the back of the Dravidian parties at election time. They never had a strong base in the state after 1967.”
In contrast to the bipolar fight narrative, former Union minister and DMK deputy general secretary A. Raja said it is a Dravidian versus communalism fight, saying the state has always been for the Dravidian parties and never for those that weaponise religion to win elections.
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BJP’s struggle for vote share in TN
The AIADMK, which was in the BJP-led NDA, severed all its ties with the party in September 2023. As alliance talks for the Lok Sabha polls started, the AIADMK could only get the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) formed by actor-turned-politician late Vijayakanth, the Social Democratic Party of India, the Puthiya Tamilagam led by K. Krishnasamy, and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi.
On the other hand, the BJP managed to bring in the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and AIADMK rebels T.T.V. Dhinakaran and O. Panneerselvam, apart from actor-turned-politician R. Sarathkumar merging his All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi with the party.
Soon after the alliance, Annamalai said he was confident of securing 25 percent votes in the Lok Sabha election. Even before the candidates were declared, PM Modi’s first-ever road show in Coimbatore, where Annamalai is contesting, was seen as a boost to the BJP.
After the Dravidian parties started to ignore the BJP, Annamalai said the DMK and the AIADMK would know the reality on the day of the result.
The BJP has a different narrative. “Every election has got some agenda and some situations. Now, the situation is anti-DMK and not pro-DMK. People are looking for a change, and we are the change. We are very sure of a huge victory, and they (the Dravidian parties) will also realise that on the day of the election result,” said Narayanan Thirupathy, Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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