BJP counts on Modi factor, Opp stronger in TN

Litmus test for BJP in Tamil Nadu as it looks to erode AIADMK vote base, emerge as credible alternative to Dravidian politics

THE LOK Sabha polls get underway on Friday as 102 constituenciesin21statesandutsvoteinthe first phase. The polls begin after months of build-up that saw the Bjp-led NDA underline its goal of winningmorethan 400seatsandruna campaign focused on welfarism. The

INDIA bloc, pushed backwithattempts to unite against the

BJP on issues such as raids and arrests of its leaders, the economy, and federalism.

DECODE

How big a factor is PM Narendra Modi’s popularity?

Pmmodiistheonlyfactorthat the ruling party’s candidates across the country are projecting, given his popularity among the electorate. Several voters in the north credit the PM for “raising India’s stature” internationally. Thesenseonthegroundisthathis popularity, based on which the BJP swept in 2019, is still intact. The PM, meanwhile, has also kept a sharp focus on the south. He has taken several steps with Tamil Nadu voters in mind, from organising the Tamil Kaashi Sangaman to raising the Katchatheevu issue to target the Dmk.thepmofteninvokestamil culture in his messages, wears a veshti on his visits, and quotes Tamil classics and poetry in his speeches.despitetheabsenceofa strong organisation, the party is banking on Modi’s popularity.

How has the Opposition fared?

In western UP, several voters expressed their concern over the weakening Opposition as well as the Central government’s crackdown on some Opposition leaders. Despite the seat-sharing between the Samajwadi Party, Congress and AAP in UP, the Oppositiondoesnotappearcohesive and it reflects on the ground. But it is a different picture down south where the Opposition alliance led by the DMK is a much more formidable force and will look to repeat its 2019 result.

What is the BJP’S target in TN?

Tamil Nadu has been the centre of the BJP’S mission for the south in this election. The state, Dravidian politics, its culture, and the Tamil language have been in almost every conversation the BJP has initiated in recent weeks. The BJP also has launched a concerted effort in the months leading to the election to expand its roots in the state, led by its state president K Annamalai who is seen as a polarising figure but has managed to keep the party in the conversation.

The election is a litmus test for thebjp’sattempttoerodethesupport base of former ally AIADMK and emerge as a credible alternative to Dravidian politics.

What are voters’ big issues?

Welfare politics: The government’s welfare initiatives remain a factor, with the free ration scheme being popular among the poor. In Rajasthan, former CM Ashok Gehlot and his government’s welfare schemes still find resonance in the Alwar region.

Unemployment: The youth, from west UP to Rajasthan to Madhya Pradesh, talk about the government’s failure to fill government vacancies and the alleged irregularities in conducting exams.

Federalism: The DMK has warned that if the BJP returns to power, the country’s federal structure will be in jeopardy.

Ram Temple: The opening of the Ram Temple, with which the BJP fulfilled one of its oldest ideological goals, has not created as much buzz as the BJP would have hoped for.

PTI PM Narendra Modi at a roadshow in Chennai.