Annamalai Padayatra: Offering alternative

For the first time, a politician has travelled to all the 234 Assembly constituencies. Normally, those who undertake a padayatra, visit a particular region but this padayatra was unique in more ways than one. It had an important theme ‘En Mann En Makkal,’ which means ‘My land, My People’. The message was very loud and clear; the main objective of this yatra was to continue the good governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last ten years. This yatra started off when PM Modi completed nine and half years in office in July 2023.

Annamalai picked up issues according to the constituencies. For example, in Gudalur, Annamalai talked about the man-animal conflict. When a leader travels to all 234 constituencies, he meets the people and addresses their local issues – it certainly galvanises the masses and creates a narrative for the people at large.

Annamalai’s approach had a unique personal touch, he not only approached the people but also looked into their problems. When a leader addresses such issues, it strikes a chord in the hearts of the people and that was the uniqueness of this yatra.

It seems that South India has a disconnect with the rest of the country. This is an optics created under a fake narrative. Similarly, a false narrative has been created around PM Modi. Whenever he used to come, even to inaugurate Government functions and to launch  projects – there used to be protests. False imagery about demonetisation, GST, North-South divide – all these were created over the years and a very strong leader was needed to break this narrative.

Now when Annamalai articulates, the people are able to understand the falsehood, which was being spread  about PM Modi.

Today, when I step into any constituency, as part of the many surveys going on, I have noticed that the negative image of PM Modi is not there, the anger is not there. People have started seeing PM Modi as an excellent leader, who is taking India to greater heights. Whether they are going to vote is a different story altogether but that negative image has been completely removed by Annamalai.

In many of the places, Annamalai met with the beneficiaries of PM Mudra Yojana, and PM Awas Yojana. He called them to the stage and these people spoke about different policies of the Centre, which further helped it create a positive image.

Annamalai’s yatra was very well managed. He travelled from one place to another in the vehicle and once they got into a particular constituency, Annamalai used to walk along with the people for a few kms. He would first listen to their grievances and then he would mingle with the people. After having lunch at someone’s house or workplace, he would start his speech.

Annamalai’s yatra had all the ingredients. However, whom did Rahul Gandhi meet? He met George Ponnaiah, who spoke against Bharat Mata. Rahul met many Missionaries and Left liberals. He talked to people from the tukde-tukde gang.

On the other hand, Annamalai talked with the common man – people dancing on the streets. Annamalai’s yatra was a micro-level managed one, which culminated fantastically.

More than BJP partymen, it was the common man on social media who supported this yatra. People travelled from Kanyakumari to Palladum to hear him speak. It is the common men who went along with karyakartas. to make this padayatra a grand success. However, I feel if PM Modi had known Tamil, the kind of connection he would have had, this falsification would have never happened. However, fortunately, today, we have Annamalai who speaks that kind of Tamil and who is as aggressive and as articulate as PM Modi is. We finally have somebody who can create a similar impact.

Dravidian parties have carefully propagated the narrative of the BJP being an outsider’s party. Congress has never been part of the Tamil Nadu Government since 1967 and it received only two to three per cent vote share in the State and that, too, from the minorities.

The media in Tamil Nadu is controlled by DMK. Even the PM made a statement that a lot of good work that he has done has never reached the people of Tamil Nadu because the media has not been allowed to function independently.

Annamalai Surpasses Stalin

But today, social media is catching up and everybody has access to mobile phones, everybody watches YouTube and Facebook these days. Even in rural Tamil Nadu, people are now seeing what is happening. There was a programme telecast by a leading popular TV channel and it was published on YouTube. Annamalai’s programme had a viewership of 30,000 in a timespan of mere 30 minutes. Udhyanidhi Stalin had also spoken for three hours before that and the views on that video were 600. Now, you can compare the popularity between the two. The perception is getting broken and the people of Tamil Nadu are getting to know the reality.

This was a huge challenge and Annamalai probably has not overcome the entire challenge but he has faced the challenge, he has given it back and today people are listening to him and accepting his viewpoint.

Impact of Annamalai’s Padayatra

One of the major reasons why BJP was not growing in Tamil Nadu was AIADMK. People in Tamil Nadu also felt that they should vote for the BJP because they cannot defeat DMK, only AIADMK can defeat them.

In Tamil Nadu, charismatic leaders are required. MGR was an uncrowned monarch, and Karunanidhi had articulating and organisational skills. Jayalalitha had a film background with a tough character and emerged as a tough leader. After the death of these stalwarts, there is a leadership vacuum and none of the people, whether EPS or Stalin, can match that kind of popularity.

However, Annamalai has struck a chord with two important sets of people – one the youth and the other women. He has made a calculated risk of not getting into an alliance with AIADMK because they were treating BJP as a liability. He fought DMK tooth and nail. He protested against the closing of temples, he supported farmers who were denied their lands, when ‘Adheenam’ was not allowed to be carried in the procession, he protested. People also realise that BJP and Annamalai are fighting against the DMK; on the other hand, AIADMK called DMK its cousin.

Annamalai garnered a lot of support in 2023 and at the beginning of 2024, everybody thought that he was crossing double digits to 15 per cent but now it has reached 20 per cent and in some of the constituencies, it has reached 30 per cent. In one constituency, the BJP has crossed 40 per cent and in this constituency, the BJP has never contested when they were in alliance.

BJP is opening its account in Tamil Nadu and has already crossed 18 per cent vote share. If elections are conducted today, they are winning one seat with a comfortable margin and they are in a very big fight for another three seats.

When one party starts to take the lead and starts to shift the momentum in their favour, the momentum goes in their favour. BJP is emerging as a strong alternative in Tamil Nadu.