Lok Sabha 2024: BJP Surpasses AIADMK in 10 Constituencies in TN, Annamalai Runner-Up in Kovai

They included Union Minister L. Murugan in the Nilgiris (SC), former Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan in Chennai South, BJP Legislature Party leader Nainar Nagenthran in Tirunelveli, and former Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan in Kanniyakumari.


Coimbatore: In a striking turn of electoral events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates have outperformed All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidates in 10 constituencies, pushing them to third place. Notably, BJP state president K Annamalai emerged as the runner-up in the Coimbatore constituency, marking a significant achievement for the party in a region traditionally dominated by the Dravidian parties.

They included Union Minister L. Murugan in the Nilgiris (SC), former Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan in Chennai South, BJP Legislature Party leader Nainar Nagenthran in Tirunelveli, and former Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan in Kanniyakumari. A.C. Shanmugham of the Puthiya Neethi Katchi, a BJP ally, also stood second in Vellore.Some of the other NDA candidates who managed to secure the second spot include Vinoj. P. Selvam in Chennai Central, Raama. Sreenivasan in Madurai, Pon. V. Balaganapathy in Thiruvallur (SC), O. Panneerselvam in Ramanathapuram, and T.T.V. Dhinakaran in Theni. Interestingly, out of all the NDA candidates in Tamil Nadu, only Sowmiya Anbumani of the PMK gave the alliance hope, leading in the initial rounds of counting. But she lost by nearly 20,000 votes.

Annamalai's leadership in the past three years has been characterized by a bold stance against the dominant Dravidian parties. His strategy included the ‘En Mann, En Makkal’ yatra, which covered all 234 Assembly constituencies to strengthen party morale and ensure ongoing media attention. Despite not securing a victory, Annamalai remains optimistic about the future. He articulated that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is setting a foundation for stronger recognition in Tamil Nadu politics.

Following the election results, Tamilisai Soundararajan also notably secured a better position for the BJP by displacing two-time AIADMK MP D Jayavardhan to third in South Chennai. This outcome represents a broader pattern of shifting political allegiances and growing support for the BJP in the state.

Senior journalist GC Sekhar commented on the development, noting that pushing AIADMK to the third position in 10 seats is an essential victory for the BJP. He posited that reaching the second position enables the party to realistically aspire for the top spot in future contests.

Despite the challenging election results, Annamalai expressed gratitude towards the people of Tamil Nadu for their support and promised to double the efforts to ensure the BJP's continued relevance in state politics. The results indicate a potential shift in the political landscape of Tamil Nadu, with the BJP gaining ground and poised for future growth.

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