Tamil Nadu Poll Plan, BJP's Ties With Allies Focus Of Amit Shah's Visit Today

Union Minister Amit Shah is visiting Madurai on Sunday to review the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s preparedness and strengthening of ties with its allies ahead of the high-stakes Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

Assembly election is due in the southern state by April-May 2026.

According to sources, Mr Shah is scheduled to hold closed-door discussions with state BJP leaders, followed by a rally in the evening. He will also offer prayers at the Meenakshi Amman temple, seen as a symbolic move intended to connect with the state's cultural sentiments.

"Leaving for Tamil Nadu. Tomorrow, will chair a meeting of the state core committee of the Tamil Nadu BJP, in Madurai. In the evening, will interact with state, district, and mandal-level office bearers of the BJP in Madurai. Looking forward to attending the programs," Mr Shah said in a post on X on Saturday.

The visit comes weeks after the BJP replaced K. Annamalai with Nainar Nagendran as the state party president, signalling a renewed push for political consolidation in the southern state. This is his second visit to the state since then. 

Key among Mr Shah's objectives during the visit, the sources said, is mending BJP's strained ties with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) - its ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but often at odds on the ground. A lack of grassroots camaraderie between party cadres has been a challenge in the past. No major NDA ally, including the AIADMK, is expected to share the stage this evening, underlining the ongoing tensions within the coalition.

The sources also pointed at unresolved internal issues within the alliance: growing rift between Pattali Makkal Katchi founder Dr S. Ramadoss and his son, Anbumani, and uncertainty over the roles of ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam's T T V Dhinakaran. Their political future in the NDA may depend on the decision of AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Adding to the strain is Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam leader Premalatha Vijayakanth's disenchantment after the AIADMK reportedly failed to give a Rajya Sabha seat to her party.

Meanwhile, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's alliance remains intact and poses a formidable challenge in the polls, the sources said. 

Another key player in the elections is actor Vijay whose party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, is expected to make its poll debut next year, potentially reshaping the electoral dynamics further.

All eyes are on Mr Shah's public address this evening. The DMK, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has been a strong critic of the BJP over the contentious delimitation issue. He had earlier sought a clarification on the upcoming exercise, alleging that the postponement of the national census to 2027 is a strategic move to carry out population-based delimitation - one that could dilute Tamil Nadu's representation in Parliament.

Currently holding 7.2% of the total seats, southern states like Tamil Nadu fear a reduction in political clout despite their success in population control. Although Mr Shah has assured that Tamil Nadu will not lose a single seat and may gain seats on a "pro-rata basis", the Chief Minister has dismissed the assurance as vague and insufficient.

With Tamil Nadu emerging as a crucial battleground in the BJP's southern expansion plans, Mr Shah's visit on Sunday could offer critical clues on the party's evolving strategy and its ability to hold the NDA coalition together in a challenging and diverse political landscape.