Textile hub an election battleground as BJP woos India's south

PM Modi, seeking third term in power, turns to region’s more literate, richer voters

- Rohini Mohan

The textile manufacturing hub of Coimbatore has emerged as a key arena in India's upcoming general election, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) uses every trick in the book to find a foothold in southern India.

As the BJP seeks a third term in power and tries to improve its previous tally of 303 seats in the 2019 election, it is looking to go beyond its strongholds in the north and west of the country to woo the more literate, wealthier and diverse voters of the south.

In Coimbatore, the second-largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, it faces a tough fight from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party - both established regional forces trying to take the citadel.

The incumbent Member of Parliament from Coimbatore is Mr P.R. Natarajan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which was part of a DMK-led alliance in 2019.

On April 19, Tamil Nadu will be the first major state to vote in the seven-phase election which will last till June 1. All results will be announced on June 4.

Represented by 39 of the total 543 Members of Parliament, Tamil Nadu is the south's biggest state and India's fifth-largest. With a history of linguistic, regionalist and inclusive politics, Tamil Nadu has rarely voted for the BJP.

Despite the BJP's massive nationwide victory in 2019, the party won only 3.6 per cent of votes in the state and no seats.

It also won only 29 of 129 seats in the five southern states - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Many of its wins were in Karnataka, which votes on April 26.

As part of the BJP's push to get more votes in the south, Mr Modi visited Tamil Nadu several times in March and April. He has also held rallies in Kerala, which votes on April 26.