Notwithstanding the Modi wave, the BJP which has been looked upon as a north India party needs alliances with local parties to be reckoned as a force in the highly polarised politics of the AIADMK and the DMK.

The BJP by striking alliances with the actor-politician Vijaykant’s DMDK, PMK founded by S Ramadoss, Vaiko-led MDMK and IJK and KMDK in Tamil Nadu and All India NR Congress in Puducherry has brought them to the NDA fold. The DMDK has about 8% to 10% vote, mostly amongst Telegu speaking people. The PMK enjoys about 7% vote among the Vanniyars in the northern part of the state. The MDMK has about 4% vote particularly among the Naicker caste. The KMDK has its base among the Goundeer caste in the western part of the state.

These parties have announced to bury their hatchet while joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). But this seems far from over. In the lone Puducherry parliamentary constituency, the PMK has fielded Anantharaman against the official NDA candidate Radhakrishan of NR Congress. Incidentally both Radhakrishan and Anantharaman belong to the same Vanniyar caste

Initially the DMDK and the PMK avoided reference to each other during the campaign and focused on Modi’s “model of good governance” in electioneering, but now they have come together to support each others’ candidate after the DMDK announced to support PMK’s candidate in Puducherry Anantharam against the All India NR Congress candidate. This new found bonhomie is expected to bring the grassroots level workers of PMK and DMDK together on the ground.

While differences between other local alliance partner remain, the BJP is hopeful about pulling in support from its individual partners to add up to its 4% support base. It is eying for prospects in at least four parliamentary constituencies – Kanyakumari, Shivaganga, Coimbatore and South Chennai.

A shot-in-the-arms is the support from the popular Tamil novelist RN Joe D'Cruz who has hailed Modi’s Gujarat government as “a visionary regime.”

In South Chennai a keen contest is in the offing where the AIADMK, DMK and BJP have put up formidable candidates. AIADMK has fielded Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker’s son Jayavardhan. BJP has fielded its former state unit chief L Ganesan who hails from the Brahmin community which forms a sizeable population in Mylapore assembly segment. The DMK has fielded its spokesman TKS Elangovan.

Under seat-sharing agreement, DMDK has been given a lion share of 14 out of the total 39 seats in the state, followed by BJP and PMK at eight each. The MDMK is contesting from seven seats while IJK and KMDK are contesting from one constituency each. However the nomination papers of the BJP candidate from Niligiris reserved constituency S Gurumurthy were rejected bringing down to seven constituencies from where the party is seeking mandate. Similarly the nomination papers of PMK candidate from Chidambaram constituency I Manirathnam were rejected. But the nomination papers of Manirathnam’s wife Sudha, who is the dummy candidate of the party, was found in order.

In Chidambaram the pro-dalit outfit and an ally of DMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi is facing the acid test to retain the reserved Lok Sabha seat amid challenge by ruling AIADMK and PMK. S Ramadoss led PMK enjoys vast clout among Vanniyars in this constituency.

One factor that come to BJP’s rescue is the expulsion of Alagiri from the DMK. Alagri has considerable influence in the southern part of the state. BJP’s prospects in Kanyakumari constituency can brighten up if Alagiri is willing to extend support.

In the Kanyakumari constituency on which BJP is more hopeful, the anti-Kudankulam activist SP Udayakumar has entered the fray as AAP candidate. Udaykumar enjoys considerable influence in coastline villages among fishermen. The constituency has 4.20% Muslims and interestingly the candidates of AIADMK, DMK, CPI(M) and AAP are all Catholic Christians.

A two-time MP, Vaiko of DMDK, defeated in 2009 by a margin of 15,764 votes by Congress candidate Manicka Tagore, is hoping to turn the tide in his favour banking on his own popularity besides the “Modi wave” being a part of the BJP-led rainbow alliance. Vaiko, a strong votary of Sri Lankan Tamils, is pitted against ruling AIADMK’s local leader D Radhakrishnan, Chairman of Sivakasi Panchayat Union. Caste factor is expected to play a key role in the outcome of the poll with Mukkulathors forming nearly one-third of the electorate. Scheduled castes and Nadars make up for the other major communities in the constituency, which has a large number of labour class being home to fireworks, match industry, off-set printing press and textile units.

The Left alliance consisting of CPI and CPI(M) has put up candidates for 18 constituencies. AAP which is eyeing to make a noticeable entry in Tamil Nadu has fielded candidates in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli. A total of 845 candidates are in the fray for 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, where the battle lines are drawn for April 24 polls.

As per initial survey, the ruling AIADMK has an edge over all other parties followed by the DMK whose prospects look brighter in Central Chennai, Nilgiris, Sriperambadur. The BJP-led rainbow alliance is hoping its best to emerge as a force to reckon with in the midst of two major bipolar forces – the AIADMK and the DMK. (IPA Service)