Fifteen former MLAs along with an ex-MP from Tamil Nadu officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, marking a significant move as the ruling party aims to bolster its foothold in the southern state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The majority of these leaders hail from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a former ally of the BJP in the state. The joining ceremony took place in the presence of Union ministers Rajeev Chandrasekhar and L. Murugan, along with the state BJP president K. Annamalai.
In his welcome address, Annamalai emphasized the valuable experience these leaders bring to the BJP, expressing their commitment to fortifying the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he eyes a consecutive third term in power.
Observing the political landscape in Tamil Nadu, it is evident that the state is embracing the Bharatiya Janata Party's ideology, stated Annamalai, alluding to the dominant Dravidian parties, the ruling DMK, and its principal rival, the AIADMK.
Chandrasekhar said the joining at such a big scale shows Modi's popularity in a state like Tamil Nadu, where the BJP has traditionally been not a big force.Noting that Modi has projected that the BJP will win 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha and the NDA will cross 400, he claimed that many of these new seats will come from Tamil Nadu. It is clear that every citizen of India wants the transformation of the last 10 years to continue, he said.