Hyderabad: The reigning Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre has declared a recently resigned Governor and its former and current party chiefs as its contenders in the high-voltage clash for the south in the forthcoming general elections, amidst Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fervent campaign rallies, which will persist until the day of quietude.

The BJP has opted for erstwhile Governor, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, as one of the nominees, anticipating that her electoral foray subsequent to occupying a constitutional position will augment its southern seat count.

During her tenure as Governor of Telangana and Puducherry, Soundararajan garnered attention both within the state and in the adjacent Union Territory bordering the Chennai South constituency. A medical practitioner by vocation, she has embarked on the electoral battle alongside former IPS officer and incumbent BJP state unit head, K Annamalai, and former state unit head and Union Minister L Murugan.

Soundararajan, who tendered her resignation as Governor a few days prior, lodged her candidacy for the Chennai South constituency on Monday. She has previously contested, albeit unsuccessfully, for a seat in the State Legislative Assembly. Her most recent electoral endeavor was in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where she contested against Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and suffered defeat by a margin of nearly 3.5 lakh votes.

The 128 Seats From South

Political analysts suggest that PM Modi’s frequent visits to various southern destinations in recent months were aimed at clinching the majority of the 128 seats from the southern states. Out of these 128, the BJP commands 30, with its rival Congress holding 27, while the remainder are distributed among other constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc, save for a few seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party secured 51 per cent of the vote share in Karnataka, sweeping 25 out of the state’s 28 seats. In Telangana, it managed to capture 19.45 per cent of the vote share and clinch four out of 17 seats.

The party failed to secure a single seat in three other southern states—Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh—while garnering 12.93 per cent, 3.6, and 0.9 per cent of the vote share, respectively.

Heavyweights In the Fray

In 2021, Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Murugan, contested from the Dharapuram constituency when he held the position of state unit head and the party was in alliance with the AIADMK. He suffered defeat in the constituency by a margin of 1,393 votes to the DMK candidate, Kayalvizhi.

Four of his party colleagues successfully secured seats in the Assembly with the backing of the AIADMK, prompting the party high command to bestow a significant reward upon Murugan, who was elevated to the position of union minister.

This development subsequently triggered a reshuffling of the party hierarchy, with K Annamalai being brought in as state president. Annamalai, who contested the elections in the AIADMK alliance from the Aravakurichi constituency, trailed behind the DMK candidate R Elango by a margin of nearly 25,000 votes. Following Annamalai’s assumption of party leadership, the alliance with the Dravidian party soured, largely due to the outspokenness of the former IPS officer from the Karnataka cadre.

Ahead of the parliamentary elections, the saffron party finalized an alliance with a party from northern Tamil Nadu—Pattali Makkal Katchi—with the aim of revitalizing its electoral prospects in the southern region of the country.

The Alliance

The BJP has formed a third front comprising an array of parties, including minor players like Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi, Puthiya Needhi Katchi, and the Tamil Manila Congress led by former Union Minister GK Vasan.

It has accommodated former Chief Minister and ousted AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam, who is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with the AIADMK led by Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Other constituents include the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam led by TTV Dhinakaran, who is also the nephew of the late CM J Jayalalithaa’s close aide. Sasikala was convicted alongside Jaya in a disproportionate assets case, although charges against the former AIADMK supremo were dropped by the Supreme Court following her demise. While the party is optimistic about opening its account in Tamil Nadu, its resonance with the electorate remains to be seen.

The Kerala Story

The BJP also aims to make inroads in neighboring Kerala. The party has set its sights on Palakkad, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, and Kasargod, where it anticipates engaging in a three-cornered contest against the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPI-led Left Democratic Front.

Going Strong In Palakkad

In Palakkad, the right-wing party ascended to power by triumphing in the 2020 municipal elections with a decisive mandate. The party’s fortunes have been on the upswing, as evidenced by its improved performance in the municipal elections, securing the top post in the 52-member council. Historically, the party has enjoyed local support from the migrant population, particularly Tamil Brahmins and guest workers from other parts of the country.

Thrissur Saga

In Thrissur, the party relies on actor Suresh Gopi, who unsuccessfully contested from the constituency in the 2019 polls. Gopi will face off against Congress’ Muraleedharan, the son of the late Chief Minister K Karunakaran and brother of Padmaja Venugopal, who recently joined the BJP. In 2019, the actor garnered 2.9 lakh votes, securing third place with a vote share of 28 percent. Congress MP TN Prathapan emerged victorious with 4.15 lakh votes, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the vote share, while his closest competitor from CPI, Rajaji Mathew Thomas, received 3.2 lakh votes, amassing a vote share of nearly 31 percent. Gopi increased his vote share in subsequent Assembly polls in the Thrissur constituency, capturing 31.5 percent of the vote share while maintaining third position in 2021. Despite finishing at the top, CPI candidate P Balachandran, the then Congress leader Padmaja, lost by a margin of less than 1,000 votes.

Pathanamthitta And Lord Ayyappa

Pathanamthitta is home to the renowned Sabarimala temple, where Modi launched his campaign by invoking Lord Ayyappa in support of Anil Antony, the son of long-serving Congress leader AK Antony, who defected to the saffron camp last year. The party rallied Hindu votes, capitalizing on sentiments against the entry of women into the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in 2019.