CHENNAI: The BJP will be sending its members to the Tamil Nadu Assembly after a gap of 15 years. The last time the party had representation in the State Assembly was in the 2001-2006 term. Ironically, BJP was in the DMK-led alliance when it won four Assembly seats in the 2001 elections.
Since then, the Dravidian parties have avoided any alliance with the BJP. However, after the party stormed into power at the Centre twice, it has been trying to make inroads in the southern States. In fact, BJP had declared DMK as its ideological foe and tried to consolidate the Hindu vote base.
But, with the BJP winning in just 4 out of the 20 seats, it appears the party has failed to convert its campaign into votes. For the BJP leaders, the fact that they are able to have MLAs in Tamil Nadu was a solace. Former BJP MP L Ganesan told Express, “It is a happy moment we are going to send members to the Assembly where we don’t have any.
At the same time, we respect the verdict of the people. And I expressed my wishes to DMK president MK Stalin over the phone.” The main poll plank of the BJP was the portrayal of DMK as anti-Hindu and the Vel Yatra of the party president L Murugan was an attempt to bring the issue to the forefront. This strategy seems to have not worked.
Memories of 2001-2006
The last time the party had representation in the State Assembly was in the 2001-2006 term. Ironically, BJP was in the DMK-led alliance when it won four assembly seats in the 2001 elections