The newly-elected BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagenthran has said that the DMK government in Tamil Nadu had failed to fulfil its electoral promises, and was increasing the burden on people by revising taxes. In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Nagenthran stressed that there was a huge anti-incumbency wave against the DMK government.
With a year to go for the 2026 Assembly election in the State, what will be the BJP’s key poll plank?
During the 2021 Assembly election, the DMK made 511 promises in its election manifesto. While it claims to have fulfilled several of them, in reality only a few have been fulfilled.
It promised to give ₹1,000 a month to all women [heads of families] in the State. But it failed to do so even after three years of its rule. Later, the scheme was rolled out in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The government also introduced a free bus travel scheme for women. But it has not fulfilled any other poll promises.
Their son [Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s son] Udhayanidhi Stalin was elevated as the Deputy Chief Minister and placed second in command, despite there being senior leaders in the party.
This has created a sense of dissatisfaction among people. After coming to power, the DMK has disproportionately increased the property tax, electricity tariff, and price of milk. Law and order has been deteriorating. The police are not acting properly to ensure law and order in the State. Crimes against women are on the rise. Anti-incumbency is another major factor. Usually, if a party has been in power for five years, the anti-incumbency factor will be 7% to 8%.
However, in the last four years, it is over 20%. People no longer want the DMK in power. The general sentiment is that there should be a change in government.
Though the NDA hopes to consolidate the anti-incumbency votes, do you think [TVK president] Vijay can end up splitting those votes?
There is a possibility that he can carve out a share of the votes, working against the DMK.
Why make such an early announcement about revival of ties between the BJP and the AIADMK?
The BJP-AIADMK alliance fell out during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. However, the DMK-led front continued to remain intact. In order to defeat the DMK-led alliance, there is a need to form a strong counter alliance. That is why [Union] Home Minister Amit Shah came to Chennai last week and met former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, and held discussions. Only then was the alliance announced…
Is it true that there is discontent among the cadre of the BJP and AIADMK about the alliance?
In AIADMK, I know the top leadership, second-line leaders and down the line to the level of unit secretaries. All are in touch with me. They often interact with me. In the last two days more than 1,000 unit level office bearers of both the BJP and the AIADMK spoke to me about how to start working at booth level to ensure coordination among two parties.
The BJP and the AIADMK have contradicting stances on several issues such as NEET, delimitation. Can you work together despite that?
Though there are some differences in ideology between the BJP and the AIADMK, cadre of both the parties have resolved to win the 2026 election. That is our shared sentiment. In my experience, I will like to say that the cadre will think only about winning the election, and not about the differences over NEET or three-language policy.
Even Mr. Shah had said a few more parties would join the NDA. You also gave a call for Naam Tamilar Katchi, whose ideology is Tamil nationalism, which is in disagreement with the BJP’s ideology of nationalism. Don’t you see a conflict?
Though we have nationalism as our core ideology, the BJP has always embraced the Tamil language. The politics of Tamil Nadu BJP will always center around Tamil
Which political parties are likely to join the alliance?
NDA will expand and more parties will join our alliance. There is still one more year to go for elections. Now I cannot name any parties.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that NDA will face the elections next year under Mr. Palaniswami’s leadership, and expressed confidence in forming the government. If the NDA wins, will BJP MLAs be part of the Council of Ministers?
Mr. Shah has clearly said that the NDA would form the government. Other than that, no comments.
What plans do you have to strengthen the party’s organisational structure?
Already we have formed booth committees across the State. Out of 68,000 booths, we have appointed office bearers to more than 55,000 booths. New district presidents were elected. The State-level body would soon review the functioning of booth committees. It has been decided to hold meetings with unit secretaries, conduct periodic review to further strengthen the units.
What is your mission and vision as Tamil Nadu’s BJP president?
I have faced several elections. Leaders in the BJP are also highly experienced. All of them are working hard. I will work in tandem with them to ensure the victory of the NDA.
You have replaced Mr. Annamalai. Will he continue in the State or will he be moved to the national scene, as Mr. Shah had hinted?
Mr. Shah has tweeted that Mr. Annamalai has the capacity to take up roles at national level. Even if he goes into national politics, my opinion is that he should continue to contribute to Tamil Nadu politics.
Will he contest the State Assembly elections next year?
Only national leadership will decide on that. Even though I have become the State president, I cannot decide whether I should contest or not. If the national leaders ask me not to contest, I cannot contest.
What is your response to the opinion that you have been appointed as Tamil Nadu BJP president to consolidate ‘Mukkulathor’ community votes?
The party had State presidents in the past. They had come to the top post only as leaders, not based on their caste. Union Minister [of State for Information and Broadcasting] L. Murugan, Honourable Governors C.P. Radhakrishnan, L. Ganesan and Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan had earlier served as BJP State presidents. When they were in that post their caste-identities were not cited. I don’t know if it’s a valid question to ask that I was made the BJP president only because I come from a particular community.