BJP, which put all its might into swaying the Dravidian stronghold, wiped out with zero seats for the second time running
Illustration/Uday Mohite
Even before he staged a highly publicised 45-hour meditation in Kanyakumari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the southern Tamil Nadu region multiple times, canvassing for party old-timers. In total, he visited Tamil Nadu seven times, hoping to shore up the party’s prospects in a state where voters have always looked down upon the cow-belt party. But come counting day, it has all come to nought.
While the DMK led an umbrella alliance of parties of all hues, the BJP was not far behind, cobbling together a coalition of the PMK and sundry parties and independents. But, even Sowmiya Anbumani, the PMK honcho’s wife, who led at various points in the day, lost the prestigious Dharmapuri seat by a slender margin.
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MK Stalin with Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai. File pic/Ashish Raje
Another hopeful for the BJP, its state president K Annamalai, came a cropper in Coimbatore after an expensive, high-voltage campaign. The party could not make a dent even in its favoured southern districts.
The DMK swept its stronghold Chennai, and allies like the Congress, CPI, CPM, and VCK took care of the rest.
DMK members at the party headquarters in Chennai hold a portrait of M K Stalin as they cheer the release of vote counts. Pic/AFP
Vast improvement
But it is not all bad news for the BJP. The party has secured a significant vote share in this election, even finishing second in a few seats ahead of the AIADMK in places like Theni, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari.
From a meagre 3.6 per cent in 2019, the party this time around has tripled it, crossing 10 per cent votes for the first time. Not bad at all for a party that primarily used to contest against NOTA. (The DMK alliance has seen a bit of a dip, going from around 50 per cent votes in 2019 to around 40 per cent votes this time. Though it did not win anything, the ADMK has managed to secure a vote share of 20 per cent.)
PM Modi with K Annamalai while campaigning.
Humble pie for ADMK
Annamalai has often said going it alone was a great way of finding out where the party stood in the state. It now knows. The same applied for the ADMK, which felt slighted by the national party for its alleged high-handedness and walked out of an alliance.
While the ADMK has managed to keep its core base intact, the state’s educated middle class cutting across castes and communities, and a large section of the youth seem to have been taken in by the BJP rhetoric. This can only be a danger sign to the DMK, which can’t rest on its laurels.
Naam Tamilar Katchi chief Seeman campaigning. Pics/X
All eyes on 2026
In the coming years, the political landscape of Tamil Nadu might see seismic developments. On one hand, the DMK will seek a second term in two years, largely on the back of the same alliance.
The ADMK would like to believe that it will be the main challenger come the assembly poll time. But the BJP and the far-right ultra-nationalist NTK have both seen steady gains in their vote share from election to election. Come 2026, they might make the battle for power in the state a legitimate four-way fight.
950
No. of candidates in fray
39
No. of parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu
38
No. of seats DMK-led alliance won in 2019 polls
‘Baahubali’ moment for Stalin
‘Baahubali,’ that was what Chief Minister M K Stalin said to describe the turnout for the Coimbatore rally addressed by him and Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi in April and said the “total BJP was trumped,” by that single public meeting.
With the DMK and allies far ahead in all the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state and 1 in neighbouring Puducherry, it appears the outcome, for the Stalin-led Dravidian party will be similar to the success of the popular flick Baahubali.
The streak of electoral success for Stalin steered alliance began in the 2019 LS polls and since then, be it civic polls or the 2021 Assembly elections, it has been a sweet win for the DMK, Congress and other allies including the Left parties.
Stalin often said his party led alliance was a ‘Kolgai kootani’, one based on ideology and ensured cohesion among partners and reiterated in the run-up to the elections that the INDIA bloc would win all the 40 seats.
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