While the battle between the two major fronts headed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is at a feverish pitch, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is heading a far smaller alliance comprising Janata Party and Janata Dal (United), is aiming to improve its performance, at least in terms of vote share, if not in terms of seats.
The party was in power at the Centre thrice though in total for only six years. It is in power at present in nine States, but is unable to make any headway in Tamil Nadu though it has been contesting the Assembly elections since 1980.
Both party president Nitin Gadkari and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj were brutally frank in admitting that all that they want to play is the role of an “effective opposition” in the Assembly. “We are not claiming that we would be able to form the government but we are confident that this time it will be definitely an impressive figure,” they added.
In 1991, a Hindu Munnani candidate supported by the BJP won the Padmanabhapuram seat.
In 1996, the seat was won by Velayutham, the first BJP candidate to enter the Assembly. Thereafter, the fortune of the party started looking up because of the Dravidian parties' sudden attraction towards it.
Lok Sabha elections
In the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, in association with the AIADMK, it won three seats (Nilgiris, Tiruchi and Coimbatore). In the 1999 Lok Sabha election, the BJP won four seats (Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Nagercoil) in the alliance of the DMK. Now the BJP is branding both these Dravidian parties as “corrupt.”
In the 2001 Assembly election, when it contested as a constituent of the alliance led by the DMK, it could manage four seats (Mayiladuthurai, Thalli, Mylapore and Karaikudi), though it contested only 21.
Contested independently
In the 2006 Assembly election, the BJP independently contested as many as 224 seats only to draw a blank. This time, while 194 of the party candidates are in the fray, 15 others are contesting on the party symbol.
So far, despite the stringent financial restrictions imposed by the Election Commission, the party has managed to get several top guns for campaigning.
Except Mr. Vajpayee, who is not keeping good health, and former Home Minister L.K. Advani, almost every top leader in the party has toured some part of Tamil Nadu or the other.
They include Mr. Gadkari, Ms. Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, former party president Venkaiah Naidu, cine stars and top level office-bearers Hema Malini and Smriti Irani.
Among them, while Ms. Swaraj has visited the State twice, Mr. Naidu had a four-day whirlwind tour programme.
Party sources, who requested anonymity, wondered how effective the campaigning of the top leaders is going to be, as most of them, except Hema Malini, would be able to speak only in English or Hindi.
