Tamil Maanila Congress Announces Tie-Up With BJP For Lok Sabha Polls

The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) will face the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as part of the BJP-led NDA, party chief G K Vasan said here on Monday. I will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting at Palladam in Tirupur district on February 27, he told reporters here.

"Tamil Maanila Congress, as part of NDA will face the coming elections under BJP's leadership," he said.

Vasan's announcement marks the first official tie-up the BJP has managed to forge in Tamil Nadu ahead of the polls, amidst its attempts to create a bloc other than those headed by the ruling DMK and the AIADMK.

A part of the AIADMK-led NDA coalition in Tamil Nadu that faced the 2021 Assembly polls, Vasan's announcement signals his party's end of ties with the AIADMK.

Edappadi K Palaniswami-headed AIADMK had announced severing ties with the BJP in September 2023.

Vasan said his party, ever since the days of its founding by his late father and veteran leader G K Moopanar, has had a "national outlook" and said the decision to join hands with the BJP included issues like welfare of Tamil Nadu and Tamils and a strong and prosperous India.

Tamil Nadu voters had witnessed BJP winning the two earlier elections with good support from other states and want the saffron party to earn a third term to ensure economic development, betterment of the poor.

They have 'realised' that another term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead to economic prosperity and reduction in poverty, among others, the former union minister added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)