There are two main strategies that BJP could have tried to improve their performance in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Elections. The first is to try making external conditions match their goals. The second to change how they experience the external conditions to make them fit their goals better. BJP was a non-entity in Tamil Nadu Politics. It was mostly considered as a North Indian Hindi Belt Hindutva party.
But when K. Annamalai joined BJP and when he was made the President of Tamil Nadu BJP, their status and prominence started changing in the political ecosystem of Tamil Nadu. Annamalai possessed a charismatic personality, a combination of personal image, communication style and skills, capacity for organisational rebuilding and political and professional acumen. Annamalai, a former IPS Officer, a graduate in mechanical engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore and an MBA degree holder from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow who cleared Civil Service Examination (IAS) conducted by Union Public Service Commission, earned a reputation for discipline, anti-corruption views and administrative toughness. He created a different image from the conventional politician. He was considered as a well-educated, upright, nationalist and result oriented tough task master. Besides, he was very fluent in Tamil and English having a vast social media outreach. His confrontation with the DMK leaders on the matters of corruption, Governance, Dynastic Policies, law and order and the alleged financial irregularities attracted media attention and interactions, often went viral beyond BJP supporters but among the general public. He filled the leadership vacuum found in BJP, Tamil Nadu as an energetic, highly visible and more combative than earlier BJP leaders in the state. He improved the position of his party from a mere junior alliance partner to a more assertive associate political force. He undertook a state wide pada yatra by name “En Mann” “En Makkal” (My Land, My People) which made a great impact on the general Public to build a personal rapport and as a national leader through out India creating a huge mass connection. He made use of the social digital media to invoke a favourable all India impact enhancing the face of Tamil Nadu BJP in a considerable way. He had the full support of BJP national top leaders like Prime Minster Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah etc. He created such an impact that the general public started viewing BJP as an alternative to the traditional Dravidian parties. Annamalai tried to position BJP as an ideological alternative and not as a mere alliance dependent party. His media reach particularly in Tamil Nadu projected him as a very important no-nonsense political leader of BJP not only in Tamil Nadu but also among the younger generation and the public in general.
BJP formed an alliance with AIADMK along with other smaller parties like Pattali Makkal Katchi, Tamil Maanila Congress, and Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam and fought under the election since 2021 under NDA. The relationship with AIADMK Became sore on account of the feeling that the Annamalai’s treatment of BJP alliance parties led to NDA defeat in the 2021 elections. Hence, AIADMK sapped the alliance with BJP. Annamalai wanted to pursue an independent approach and fight the elections devoid of any Dravidian parties. In order to retain the relationship with AIADMK, BJP made Nainar Nagendran as BJP Tamil Nadu President. Annamalai announced that he was not going to contest the ensuing election in 2026. Annamalai’s strategy was to build a long-term political foundation rather than seeking immediate electoral prominence.
The history of the growth of BJP founded in the year 1980 after the collapse of Janata Party as the foremost political party in India shows that they started their political entrance as Bharatiya Jan Sangh with a mere two Lok Sabha seats out of the 543 seats in the 1984 general election and from that low point, under leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani, the party gradually expanded into a major national force. Considering the growth of BJP as an example, Annamalai also aspired to become the leading political party in Tamil Nadu. Unfortunately, political expediency took precedence in side tracking the visionary Annamalai in the just concluded elections in Tamil Nadu. If he is given yet another chance by restoring him as President of Tamil Nadu BJP to lead them in the coming days, BJP had and has many visionaries with great visions and missions and to realise their visions That is why they are what they are today in Indian political arena. “Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” Annamalai has the vision and a dream like the BJP predecessors and he is capable of realising his reams. Like his predecessors, he also has patience and perseverance to attain his goal.
A perusal of the election result shows an unprecedented and unbelievable results of a new entrant swash buckler Joseph Vijay’s TVK party vanquishing the two Dravida Parties DMK and AIADMK becoming the leading largest successful party. The AIADMK is now facing an existential crisis. Had Annamalai been leading from the front, he would have at least increased the vote share of BJP considerably if not seats. If he is given yet another chance to lead BJP of Tamil Nadu, his patience and perseverance would definitely bring belter results. Will BJP leadership give him another chance?
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” And “Patience is not passive waiting. Patience is active acceptance of the process required to attain your goals and dreams.
T. R. Radhakrishnan
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