Chennai: The near-destruction of the Bharatiya Janata Occasion in Tamil Nadu, coupled with the declining standing of its major ally, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), casts an extended shadow over the NDA’s future within the state.
The Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA) received in simply 53 of the 234 parliamentary constituencies it contested on this election, securing a vote share of simply over 24%. The BJP alone received solely about 3% of the vote and just one seat.
Reflecting on these outcomes, Bharatiya Janata Occasion leaders in Tamil Nadu who spoke to ThePrint admitted that the alliance was unable to ship the specified electoral outcomes. They blamed the dearth of a pacesetter who might match actor Vijay’s charisma.
Mr. Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the one largest social gathering within the state, profitable 108 seats, simply in need of a majority.
“In a cult-driven political panorama like Tamil Nadu, the BJP ought to have received extra seats than we did. We did not capitalize on the anti-incumbency sentiment that Okay. Annamalai had generated within the years main as much as his resignation and will do little to keep up the momentum because the elections approached,” Tamil Nadu BJP deputy chief Narayanan Thirupathy advised ThePrint.
“Regardless that we refuted this narrative and had been in opposition to the DMK’s corruption and misrule, the folks of Tamil Nadu needed a powerful presence and star-like character to match Mr. Vijay,” added Mr. Thirupathy, who can be the chief spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu state BJP.
“We have to introspect and perceive why now we have did not undertaking our face as a celebration and as an alliance,” he stated.
Recalling historic electoral traits in Tamil Nadu, Thirupathy defined how because the Seventies, former AIADMK chief ministers and movie stars MG Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa have stood up in opposition to the DMK at any time when there was an anti-incumbency motion in opposition to the then DMK supremo, former CM M. Karunanidhi.
Different Bharatiya Janata Occasion leaders drew parallels between the social gathering’s elimination of Annamalai and the appointment of Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy to switch the favored Bandi Sanjay as Telangana Bharatiya Janata Occasion chief forward of the 2023 meeting polls within the state. In Telangana, the BJP ended up dropping seats to the Congress. Benefiting from an anti-incumbent wave in opposition to the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), the Congress finally shaped the federal government.
Additionally learn: Mr. Vijay’s pledge will now contain politics. Defeating the Tamil Nadu behemoth was simple.
BJP-AIADMK: “Meaningless Alliance”
The non-transfer of votes from the AIADMK to the Bharatiya Janata Occasion and vice versa is “alarming”, senior Bharatiya Janata Occasion leaders advised ThePrint on situation of anonymity.
The BJP was counting on its allies to win eight seats in western Tamil Nadu, thought of a stronghold of the AIADMK.
Equally, the AIADMK needed to capitalize on the Bharatiya Janata Occasion’s power in southern districts corresponding to Tuticorin, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Rameshwaram, which have a excessive focus of Christians. Nonetheless, the AIADMK’s dismal efficiency within the southern districts confirmed that it has not benefited from the Bharatiya Janata Occasion’s presence. And this was the truth whilst Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned from Nagercoil.
Furthermore, EPS has contested almost 100 rallies, however the AIADMK has did not safe victory in round 50 per cent of the constituencies it has received to this point. The BJP sees this as an indication of the shrinking political capital of the EPS and the fading relevance of the AIADMK.
The defeats of incumbent BJP MLA Vanati Srinivasan and Union minister and former Tamil Nadu BJP president L. Murugan in Coimbatore North and Avanashi respectively haven’t boded properly for the BJP.
The one winner from the BJP was M. Bhojarajan from Udhagamandalam (Ooty).
“It is a meaningless alliance now. The Bharatiya Janata Occasion, which represents solely 2.97 per cent of the inhabitants, is a pariah in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK’s efficiency has confirmed to haven’t any impact on the NDA,” a senior Bharatiya Janata Occasion official who was beforehand in command of Tamil Nadu advised ThePrint.
“Our continued relationship depends upon the survival of the AIADMK,” he added.
With Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran unable to wrest victory from Mr. Sattur, the social gathering itself must readjust its technique. The NDA lacked a unified political message all through the 2019, 2021 and 2026 parliamentary and Sabah elections.
Within the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Theni voted for the AIADMK to energy, whereas the NDA received one seat in Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, the social gathering secured solely 75 seats within the 2021 state meeting elections.
Though the AIADMK and the BJP parted methods in 2024, it was in useless that they got here collectively in September 2025, eight months earlier than the elections.
The AIADMK and the BJP reconciled in September 2025 forward of the 2024 meeting elections. Collectively, they defeated the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which incorporates the Congress.
Now, ever because the sudden disruption in nationwide politics attributable to Mr. Vijay’s Tamazhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), whispers and questions in regards to the sanctity and safety of the BJP-AIADMK alliance are surfacing even from the AIADMK camp.
“Having dominated for 10 years from 2011 to 2021, we had hoped to re-establish our dominance throughout Tamil Nadu by counting on the event and welfare insurance policies of the Bharatiya Janata Occasion that we had proposed. And we, as a celebration and as an alliance, want to return to the drafting board and assess our priorities within the face of a altering and dynamic political panorama,” stated Kovai Sathyan, a senior chief and spokesperson who additionally helped draft the invoice. He advised ThePrint within the social gathering’s manifesto.
AIADMK leaders, whereas assured that the cadres wish to stay within the social gathering, expressed considerations in regards to the social gathering’s third place. In the meantime, their major opponent, DMK, has managed to keep up its place as an opposition social gathering on this election.
Political observer and strategist Sriram Seshadri stated, “The victory of two senior leaders, O. Panneerselvam and Sengottaiyan, who had been estranged from the AIADMK, additionally poses an issue for EPS. “As smaller events are prone to align with TVK, we must see if the AIADMK can keep its supremacy as a Dravidian social gathering as soon as Mr. Vijay consolidates his place.” It continues to have nice affect in elections. ”
Each AIADMK and BJP leaders declined to touch upon the prospects of an alliance, however agreed on one level. They stated the NDA’s rally in Tamil Nadu in 2026 was extra about electoral coercion than ideological unity.
“The alliance was shaped amidst the altering political panorama within the Indian peninsular area, in hopes of a positive election outcome and defeating a typical enemy. Nonetheless, if this goal isn’t achieved, we must discover different methods to enchantment to the folks of the state,” Narayanan Thirupathy stated.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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