The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance’s Clean sweep in Tamil Nadu has left the main opposition party AIADMK grappling with questions about its future, given that it has faced a poll debacle for the second straight parliamentary election, and has provided the BJP with a silver lining despite its own troubles.
Unlike last time, when the AIADMK won one constituency, the AIADMK failed to win any of the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies this time even though it marginally increased its vote share from 19.39% to 20.46%. Once a formidable force, the Dravidian party has been relegated to the third place in 12 critical constituencies, with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) taking the second place behind the DMK. The BJP finished second in nine of these seats. These constituencies are Chennai Central, Chennai South, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Nilgiris, Tirunelveli, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Ramanathapuram, and Theni, which was the sole seat the AIADMK won in 2019.
For the AIADMK, more worrying will be Kanyakumari and the Union Territory of Puducherry where it finished fourth behind Tamil nationalist leader Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). Adding to its woes, AIADMK candidates in seven constituencies — Chennai South, Kanyakumari, Puducherry, Theni, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and Vellore — lost their deposits.
While AIADMK chief and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the election was a lesson on how to face the 2026 Assembly elections, a former AIADMK minister said Palaniswami, or EPS as he is popularly known, should read the signs of danger. “There is a huge setback in southern Tamil Nadu. Seeman’s NTK and the BJP ate into our votes. The results show that revamping the party is crucial now.”
Another leader from central Tamil Nadu alleged that EPS seemed more focused on keeping his hold over the party than ensuring its well-being. The expulsion of influential figures such as O Panneerselvam, TTV Dhinakaran, and VK Sasikala alienated a significant chunk of the voter base from the OBC-Thevar community, particularly in south Tamil Nadu. According to him, “the delayed decision to sever ties with the NDA just six months before the elections” further weakened the party.
“The voters perceived AIADMK as a non-contender, overshadowed by the stronger DMK and the BJP’s national influence. They knew that DMK was stronger and the BJP was winning in Delhi too. Coimbatore was a major embarrassment as we slipped to third place despite the efforts and resources expended by powerful local bigwigs of the party,” the leader said.
“There was significant last-minute sabotage from the party in favor of the BJP, especially in high-profile seats such as Coimbatore and Ramanathapuram. EPS failed in building an alliance while the same played a key role in the DMK’s success. I would say that it was EPS’s inability that failed to retain the PMK, which could have bolstered our vote share and even performance in seats such as Dharmapuri and Vellore,” said a senior AIADMK leader from Salem.
Why Annamalai is optimistic
Meanwhile, for the BJP, an aggressive campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state BJP president K Annamalai, who lost from Coimbatore, failed to translate into electoral success. The BJP’s vote share stagnated at 11.24%, far below its target of 25%. For the party, the AIADMK’s troubles that have disrupted the traditional dynamics of bipolar contests form the silver lining from this election, with Annamalai labeling it a victory.
“In several seats, including Chennai city constituencies and Madurai, the BJP has pushed the AIADMK to third position. That is our victory. If the AIADMK vote share has come down from 40% in 2014 to 20% in 2024, that is their problem. Our growth is to our advantage. In 2019, DMK’s vote share was 33% and now it has decreased to 26.93%. I strongly believe that these trends pave the way for a coalition government in the state in 2026,” Annamalai said.
But a senior RSS leader in Coimbatore said, “We used maximum resources and power. Going beyond this requires solid work … He (Annamalai) will have to do solid groundwork hereafter, make sure that AIIMS is coming to Madurai, ensure that the state will not be denied relief during calamities.”
Internal dissent also marred the BJP’s campaign, the RSS leader said, adding, “Either we used our maximum resources and power, or we targeted rivals such as Senthil Balaji. Delhi gave complete support to these hardline tactics. BJP’s image suffered due to decisions such as bringing S Vijayadharani into the fold from the Congress. Any further growth in the state means the party has to escalate the work and think of constructive contributions.”
Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Full list of winners