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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made significant gains in Tamil Nadu in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, emerging as a potential third force in the state's politics. While the party failed to win any seats, it managed to secure a vote share of 11.3%, its highest in any Lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu.
This growth comes at the expense of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which has seen a decline in its vote share of 7.7 percentage points since 2019. The AIADMK's loss is particularly significant in light of the fact that the BJP contested as part of the AIADMK alliance in 2019, making a direct comparison of vote shares difficult.
The BJP's gains are not solely attributable to an increase in the number of seats it contested. Even when considering only the seats where the BJP contested, its vote share has increased compared to previous elections. This suggests that the BJP has made genuine inroads into the Tamil Nadu electorate and is gaining popularity at the expense of the AIADMK.
It remains to be seen whether the BJP can maintain this momentum in the upcoming 2026 assembly elections. However, the party's strong performance in the Lok Sabha elections suggests that it is a force to be reckoned with in Tamil Nadu politics.
Source: BJP’s stock grows in Tamil Nadu as AIADMK loses ground