Chennai, Jan 31 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party’s appointment of campaign managers for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections has provided the clearest indication yet of the constituencies the party is keen to contest as part of its alliance with the AIADMK.

Though both the BJP and the (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) have maintained that formal seat-sharing talks are yet to begin, party sources say the internal list reflects the BJP’s negotiating priorities.

According to the list, eight senior leaders and well-known faces of the BJP have been tasked with overseeing election work in 41 Assembly constituencies across the State. Senior leaders, including Arvind Menon, Sudhakar Reddy, L. Murugan, Pon Radhakrishnan, Tamilisai Soundararajan, H. Raja, Vanathi Srinivasan and K. Annamalai, have been assigned responsibility for these constituencies, signalling the BJP’s intent to press hard for these seats during alliance negotiations.

The allocation of campaign managers is seen as a strategic exercise aimed at consolidating the party’s presence in regions where it believes it has electoral potential, based largely on its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The western belt of Tamil Nadu dominates the list, with Coimbatore district emerging as a key focus area. The BJP has identified eight constituencies in the district — Kinathukadavu, Coimbatore North, Kavundampalayam, Singanallur, Pollachi, Coimbatore South, Valparai (SC) and Mettupalayam — reflecting the party’s relatively strong organisational base in the region.

The western focus extends to Tiruppur district (Tiruppur North, Tiruppur South and Udumalpet), the Nilgiris district (Ooty and Coonoor) and Krishnagiri district (Hosur and Thalli).

Of the 15 western Tamil Nadu constituencies featured, the BJP finished second in nine Assembly segments during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Notably, all eight senior leaders have been assigned constituencies in this western cluster, underlining the importance the party attaches to the region.

A similar emphasis is evident in Kanniyakumari district, where the BJP has traditionally performed better. The party finished runner-up in all five constituencies listed from the district — Nagercoil, Colachel, Padmanabhapuram, Vilavancode and Killiyoor — in 2024.

Kanniyakumari, along with Coimbatore, marked the BJP’s strongest parliamentary performances in the State.

In southern Tamil Nadu, the list includes Madurai North, Madurai South and Thirupparankundram, the latter drawing increased attention following the recent Karthigai Deepam-related controversy.

Other constituencies identified include Radhapuram and Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district, Srivaikuntam in Thoothukudi, Paramakudi (SC) and Mudukulathur in Ramanathapuram, Tenkasi, Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar and Karaikudi in Sivaganga.

In Chennai, the BJP has zeroed in on T Nagar, Velachery, Mylapore and Virugambakkam, all falling under the (Chennai South), where the party secured over 26 per cent of the vote in 2024, pushing the AIADMK to third place.

–IANS

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