CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey: BJP expands presence in Tamil Nadu but fails to force a major shift Premium

CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey: With strong campaigning and outreach, BJP made its presence felt in Tamil Nadu, yet it remains uncertain whether it can decisively alter the political landscape as it has not been able to consolidate support from any specific social group

In the long run, the outcome of the Lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu may have tremendous significance for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) foray into the politics of the State. However, in the immediate context, there seems to be limited gain for the BJP in terms of seats.

For a State where politics has been strictly divided between the two Dravidian parties, the BJP’s success this time represents a major shift.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance managed a sweep with 39 seats, and this ensured that the BJP remained firmly away from a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. Thus, in a paradoxical outcome, Tamil Nadu both stalled the BJP and also opened up possibilities for it.

This achievement by the BJP was partly possible because the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) vacated the space to challenge the DMK-led coalition.

In its determination to breach the State’s bipolarity, the BJP ensured that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would repeatedly visit the State and enhance the efforts of the State unit led by K. Annamalai. Over the past two years, Mr. Annamalai’s “En Mann En Makkal Yatra” (My Land, My People Yatra) took the BJP across nearly every Assembly constituency.

As the CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey shows, during the campaign for the Lok Sabha election, the BJP aggressively reached out to voters through phone calls, text messages, social media.

Compared with all other contesting parties, the BJP’s outreach was the largest as reported by the respondents; more than 60% said that they had been contacted by the BJP through social media and 46% said they were contacted through door-to-door campaign.