'After polls, BJP's growth in TN will only be upwards'

YOU can't call him a greenhorn politician nor will he allow you to write off his party's setback in his state in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

He will turn around and ask you to do your math correctly. "While the BJP did not win a single seat in Tamil Nadu the NDA alliance garnered an 18.2% vote share and the BJP had an individual vote share of 11.2%. In 78 of the 234 assembly constituencies, the BJP has secured the second position, pushing AIADMK to number 3," cop-turned-firebrand politician and TN BJP chief K Annamalai told Bala Chauhan in an interview. Excerpts:

What went wrong for the BJP in Tamil Nadu despite the hectic campaigning by the PM and you?

The line of questioning only serves to highlight the inherent bias that many media outlets have towards the BJP's growth in TN. It's important to note that a national party without an alliance with the major Dravidian parties has secured a double-digit vote share after five decades in TN. Our Honourable Prime Minister, speaking from the Central Hall of Parliament in the NDA alliance partners meeting, not only commended the growth of BJP in TN but also emphasised that the growth from here will only be upwards, a clear testament to our achievements.