BJP-led NDA fails to win any seat in Tamil Nadu

PM Modi was meditating in Kanniyakumari a few days before the election results

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was expected to make an inroad into Tamil Nadu in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But, the alliance has not been able to win any seats.

However, the BJP itself has increased its vote share in the state to over 11 percent, according to data from the Election Commission of India.

The INDIA alliance has won in all the 39 constituencies of the state in Lok Sabha election 2024.

The BJP formed alliances with smaller regional parties in Tamil Nadu like Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), and Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam (AMMK).

The BJP contested elections in 23 Lok Sabha seats of Tamil Nadu, while its allies fought in the remaining constituencies.

Of the 38 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the NDA was being seen to be a significant contender in at least 10 constituencies — including Coimbatore, Kanniyakumari, Theni, and Nilgiris.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA had secured a vote share of 9.39 percent, but that did not translate into any seats. However, the alliance had won 2 seats in the 2014 general election when it had cornered 10.13 percent of the vote share.

The opposing INDIA bloc won 38 seats in 2019 with a vote share of 52.56 percent. But it had come up nil in 2014, even though it garnered a vote share of 36.36 percent in the state in that election.

Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha elections have always been a battle between the DMK and AIADMK. However, for the first time since 1967, Tamil Nadu is now expected to see the emergence of a third force — BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made nearly a dozen visits to the state since the election dates were announced, with roadshows in Chennai on the top of his agenda. However, the focus was on the Coimbatore region, in which the BJP has had some sway since the serial blasts of 1998.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK and Congress were part of the Opposition's INDIA bloc, which also includes CPI, CPIM, VCK, IUML, and MDMK. The AIADMK-led alliance features parties like DMDK, PT, and SDPI.