South boost for BJP, Tamil Maanila Congress joins NDA

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, February 26

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) got a shot in its arm in Tamil Nadu on Monday with GK Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress announcing its decision to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll as part of the coalition.

BJP’S Tamil Nadu struggle

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In the 2019 LS poll, the BJP drew a blank in Tamil Nadu. In 2014, when it stitched a multi-party alliance with the DMDK, MDMK and PMK, it won only one seat. Earlier, the BJP won 3 LS seats in the state in 1998, its best-ever performance being in 1999 when it won four LS seats

This is the first formal tie-up that the BJP has struck with any Tamil Nadu party for General Elections in the state where it lost erstwhile ally AIADMK in 2023.

Vasan, along with the BJP, was part of the AIADMK-led coalition that contested the 2021 state poll.

Vasan’s decision to back the BJP means he has snapped ties with the AIADMK amid possibilities of some top AIADMK leaders also planning saffron forays. The announcement of the pact between Vasan and NDA came days after three-term Congress MLA from Vilavancode in Kanyakumari Vijayadharani joined the BJP in Delhi.