Chennai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has decided to “quietly watch” developments in Tamil Nadu politics for a few months, BJP functionaries have said.
According to party sources, Shah has been involved in efforts to expand the BJP’s footprint in the state since the party formed the Union government in 2014. After the AIADMK–BJP alliance lost the 2021 Assembly election, K Annamalai was appointed state BJP president.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Annamalai led a separate front under the BJP’s leadership. The BJP secured 11% vote share, while the BJP-led alliance polled 18%, but the DMK-led alliance won all 39 seats. Party leaders later told Shah that an alliance with the AIADMK could have delivered wins in at least 20 constituencies, leading to a decision to revive the tie-up for the 2026 Assembly election. Subsequently, Annamalai was replaced by Nainar Nagendran as state president.
However, BJP leaders said the emergence of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) altered the political calculations. Shah held discussions with senior party leaders on the election outcome, with a BJP functionary claiming the results surprised him.
The functionary alleged that a large share of Christian and Muslim voters who were earlier part of the DMK’s vote base shifted to TVK, contributing to the DMK’s defeat. With the AIADMK seen as struggling, the BJP is now assessing how the political space will be reshaped. Shah is said to have told leaders that the party would observe the situation for a few months and then draw up plans, including organisational restructuring.
