A new chapter has begun in the southern State of Tamil Nadu. This new politics will bring landmark change not only in Tamil Nadu but also in entire southern State politics. The new politics is all set to cast its effect in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. This new politics has been started by the young and dynamic leader Annamalai Kuppusamy, the President of the Tamil Nadu State unit of the BJP. Annamalai Kuppusamy has previously been an officer of the Indian Police Service. The biggest problem in the BJP politics in n Tamil Nadu politics was the lack of a local and credible leader. Now the BJP seems to be filling this gap and giving a tough fight to the ruling DMK in the forthcoming 2026 Assembly election. Currently MK Stalin of the DMK is the Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu. In the upcoming Assembly election, the BJP has given its clarion call for power in Tamil Nadu through its young State president.
Tamil Nadu was like a barren land for the BJP. The BJP performed best since its formation in Tamil Nadu in 2001 and 2021 Assembly elections when the party won four Assembly seats. But the BJP is now standing on its own feet in the politics of the southern States. In the 2024 LS election the BJP opened its Lok Sabha account in another southern State of Kerala.
The BJP can give a surprising performance in the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. The BJP has been surprised by its performance in many States after 2014. In Tripura, the BJP had a record of being able to save the deposit on only one seat in the Assembly elections till 2013, but in the 2018 Assembly election the BJP won 36 seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly and formed the government with a clear majority. In Haryana, the BJP’s best performance till 2014 was with 16 seats in the 1987 Assembly election. In Haryana, the BJP had got single digit seats in the last three Assembly elections in 2000, 2005 and in 2009. In 2009, The BJP got only four seats in Haryana. But in 2014, the BJP won 47 seats in Haryana and formed a clear majority government. In Assam, the BJP had won only five seats in the 2011 Assembly elections, but in 2016, the party won 60 seats, which was just 4 seats short of a clear majority.
The BJP has been surprising its critics and analysts with such performances. Now the BJP seems to be moving towards the southern States with similar performances. The BJP is currently in government in Puducherry with its local ally the All India NR Congress. There is mutual adjustment in the politics of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. After MG Ramachandran separated from DMK and formed his own outfit the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1972. The AIADMK firstly formed a government in Puducherry and then in Tamil Nadu. The BJP also seems to be repeating this political history of MGR under the leadership of Annamalai Kuppusamy.
Besides, a big change is knocking in the politics of Tamil Nadu as the Opposition space is open in the State. The current main Opposition party The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is losing its mass base day by day. Now the BJP is in the State as the strongest Opposition party. The ruling DMK is facing a big challenge that Karunanidhi’s leadership is no more. Stalin and his son lack the charisma and popularity of Karunanidhi.
The BJP seems to be getting the political advantage of Assam in Tamil Nadu too. In Assam, the vote bank of the main Opposition party of the Congress party, Assam Gana Parishad, had supported the BJP. The BJP had proved itself as the main opponent of the ruling Congress party in Assam. The same situation is seen in Tamil Nadu as the vote bank of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam seems to be supporting the BJP. In West Bengal too, the BJP got the benefit of the anti-Mamata Banerjee vote bank support and in West Bengal, the BJP reached 77 seats in the 2021 Assembly election from 3 seats in the 2016 Assembly election.
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