As many as fifteen former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Congress MLAs including K Vadivel, Gomati Srinivasan and S Muthukrishnan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu today (February 7). Former DMK MP from Chidambaram Lok Sabha seat P Kulandaivelu also joined the party in Delhi. The joining of former legislators will give a big boost to the saffron party which has been trying hard to increase its footprints in the southern state under the leadership of K Annamalai.
Tamil Nadu is a big challenge for the BJP as it remains one of the forts that Narendra Modi-Amit Shah-led Bharatiya Janata Party could not make an impact. The BJP drew nil in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, it managed to win 4 constituencies in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections in 2021 in an alliance with the AIADMK. In the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the BJP strategically drawing leaders from rival parties and on the other hand, Tamil Nadu party president K Annamalai has been carrying out padyatra in a bid to galvanise grassroots party workers.
The BJP is trying to forge its own front or 'Grand Alliance' in Tamil Nadu after the AIADMK's departure from the NDA. The party is in talks with the Anbumani Ramadoss' Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), TTV Dhinakaran-led Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam (AMMK), Vijayakanth founded Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), O Panneerselvam-led faction of the AIADMK, GK Vasan's Tamil Maanila Congress, TR Paarivendhar's Indhiya Jananayaka Katchi (IJK), Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) of K Krishnasamy, Puthiya Needhi Katchi of AC Shanmugam, Devanathan Yadav's Inthiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam (IMKMK) and John Pandian-led Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK).
Following Tamil Nadu leaders joined BJP:
P Kulandaivelu (Former DMK MP from Chidambaram Lok Sabha seat), K Vadivel (Former AIADMK MLA from Karur), PS Sennimalai Kandasamy (Former AIADMK MLA from Aravakurichi), Gomati Srinivasan (Former minister and AIADMK MLA from Valangaiman), R Chinnaswamy (Former AIADMK MLA from Singanallur), R Duraisamy, also known as Challenger Dorai (Former AIADMK MLA Coimbatore South), MV Rathinam (Former AIADMK MLA from Pollachi), SM Vasan (Former AIADMK MLA from Vedasandur), S Muthukrishnan (Former AIADMK MLA from Kanyakumari), PS Arul (Former AIADMK MLA from Bhuvanagiri), NR Rajendiran (Former AIADMK MLA from Kattumannarkoil), R Thangaraju (Former Congress MLA from Andimadam), S Gurunathan (Former DMK MLA from Palayamkottai), VR Jayaraman (Former AIADMK MLA from Theni), K Balasubramaniam (Former AIADMK MLA from Sirkazhi) and A Chandrasekaran (Former Congress MLA from Sholavandan).
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