BJP holds review meeting in Coimbatore to analyse Tamil Nadu Assembly poll performance
Coimbatore, May 21
The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership in Tamil Nadu on Thursday held a high-level consultative meeting in Coimbatore to review the party's performance in the recently concluded Assembly elections and discuss organisational strategy going forward.
The meeting was chaired by BJP National Organising Secretary BL Santhosh at the party's district office, reflecting the central leadership's focus on assessing the party's electoral position in the state following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
More than 80 key party functionaries attended the meeting, including state office-bearers, leaders of various frontal wings and all 26 BJP candidates who contested the elections.
Among those present were Tamil Nadu BJP in-charge Arvind Menon, Sudhakar Reddy, state president Nainar Nagendran, BJP Mahila Morcha national president Vanathi Srinivasan, state treasurer SR Sekhar, former state president Tamilisai Soundararajan, Karu Nagarajan, state secretary Amar Prasad Reddy, all-wing coordinator KT Raghavan, state general secretary Rama Sreenivasan, minority wing leader Vellore Ibrahim, actress Kasthuri Shankar, party spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy, general secretary AP Muruganandam, Ooty BJP MLA Bhojarajan and former MLA Gandhi.
The meeting focused on analysing the BJP's electoral performance, identifying organisational shortcomings and discussing the factors that contributed to the party's poor showing in the Assembly elections.
The BJP, which contested the elections as part of the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), managed to secure only one seat in the 234-member Assembly. BJP candidate Bhojarajan won the Udhagamandalam constituency by a narrow margin of 976 votes.
Party leaders also discussed the BJP's future political strategy in Tamil Nadu and the need to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level ahead of upcoming political engagements.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Vanathi Srinivasan distributed Melody chocolates among party cadres during the meeting, drawing attention amid recent social media discussions surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifting Melody chocolates to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit to Italy.
The gesture came amid widespread online references to the "Melodi" trend, which combines the names of Modi and Meloni and gained traction following the leaders' public interactions during international events.
The review meeting comes at a time when Tamil Nadu politics has undergone a major shift after actor-turned-politician Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Thursday expanded his cabinet as ministers Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan took oath of office at the Lok Bhavan in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath to the newly inducted ministers after approving the Chief Minister's recommendation to induct additional MLAs into the Council of Ministers.
The total strength of the Council of Ministers is 35, of which 33 ministers have now taken oath following the latest cabinet expansion. Of the total ministerial composition, 21 MLAs are from TVK, and two are from Congress.
Chief Minister Vijay, along with nine other MLAs, had earlier taken oath on May 10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections marked a major political shift in the state, with TVK winning 108 seats in its maiden electoral contest. It was also the first time in Tamil Nadu's political history that both major Dravidian parties were voted out of power simultaneously.
However, TVK fell short of a majority on its own and later secured support from Congress, CPI(M), CPI, VCK and IUML, all of whom were earlier part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
— ANI
Reader Comments
At least the BJP is acknowledging their poor performance and trying to fix things. That's more than some parties do. But they need to understand Tamil Nadu's unique political culture - it's not about waving flags but about connecting with the people's daily struggles. The TVK wave is real and they can't ignore it.
Interesting how the NDA alliance failed spectacularly in TN. One seat out of 234 is embarrassing. The Melody chocolate gesture seems like a gimmick to distract from the reality. If BJP wants to make inroads in the South, they need to drop the North Indian narrative and embrace Tamil identity and language. Basic stuff!
Good that they're reviewing, but did anyone bother to ask why Tamil Nadu voters rejected them? It's not just about alliances or chocolates. People here want local issues addressed - water, jobs, education, and respect for Dravidian heritage. The Melodi trend is trivial when people are worried about rising prices. 🤷♀️
The TVK's rise is a game-changer. For the first time, both DMK and AIADMK are out of power. BJP needs to understand that Tamil Nadu politics is evolving rapidly. Their one seat win is a warning sign. If they keep insisting on Hindi imposition and ignoring regional sentiments, even that one seat might be lost next time.
Honestly, the Melody chocolate thing feels like a PR move that backfired. People are laughing, not impressed. But credit where due - BJP is at least holding meetings and
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.