While people were glued to the TV sets from 8 am tracking the election results on Thursday, the spotlight fell on Tamil Nadu voters. When the majority of the country gave a spectacular win to Modi-led NDA, Tamil Nadu voters shunned BJP and gave a thumbs up to DMK and its allies. The absence of late J. Jayalalithaa seemed to have cost both the AIADMK and the BJP dear with the alliance losing almost all Parliamentary seats to the Opposition. From being the third largest party in the Lok Sabha with 37 seats, the AIADMK was left with single digit tally at the end of day.
Modi and Amit Shah had campaigned and addressed rallies in the state, highlighting Central schemes, including setting up of AIIMS near Madurai, that would benefit the state. Chief Minister
Edappadi K. Palaniswami in his campaigns reiterated his party’s stand that the country would be safe in the hands of Modi who alone could provide a stable government at the Centre.
Demonetisation and GST had left the BJP unpopular with the people of Tamil Nadu as they believed it hurt the common man and hit the manufacturing hubs of the state.
Besides, people felt that post-Jayalalithaa, the BJP pulled the strings in the AIADMK government. DMK cashed in on these sentiments of people and wooed voters during this Parliament elections. It also charged the BJP-led government with compromising the interests of Tamil Nadu on several issues including Neet.
The BJP, on the other hand, relied on Modi’s charisma and the NDA government’s performance. With no prominent leader, the saffron party failed to make any impact in the state ruled by Dravidian parties for several decades.
With corruption a non-issue in the state, voters didn’t mind backing DMK-led alliance this time like they did with AIADMK last Lok Sabha polls.
After losing to DMK’s Kanimozhi in Thoothukudi, BJP state unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan said people would have reaped more benefits if they had voted someone not accused of corruption or selfish politics.
As BJP gears up for another 5-year term and the AIADMK government gets a breather in bypolls, voters had the last laugh, as usual.
