Tamil vs Thamizh in spirited south Chennai fight

ON March 20, Tamilisai Soundararajan entered the state headquarters of the BJP, Kamalalayam, after a gap of nearly five years, to rejoin the party.

- SUBASHINI VIJAYAKUMAR

After collecting her membership card, she said in her booming voice, "Tamizhagathil Thamarai Malarum, Malarndhe Theerum" (Lotus will bloom in Tamil Nadu, it will inevitably bloom), revitalising a catchphrase she popularised when she was the party's state president from 2014 to 2019.

However, the bloom is yet to happen. Tamil Nadu has eluded the BJP so far with the party winning only eight MP seats out of the 105 Lok Sabha contests since 1984. Seven of these victories were thanks to its alliance with either the AIADMK or the DMK.

Two days before she rejoined the party, Tamilisai resigned as the Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, a move that surprised many and signalled the BJP's intentions to field its heavy weights in key constituencies to turn the tide in this Lol Sabha election.

Despite losing the AIADMK from its alliance, the BJP is hopeful of significantly increasing its vote share, owing to the growth the party believes it has achieved in the Dravidian land in recent years.

The saffron party is banking on Tamilisai's relative popularity and down-to-earth personality besides a significant presence of Brahmins and an upwardly mobile population to shake up Chennai South, which has predominantly favoured the DMK.