In Tamil Nadu, public gatherings are out of style for the BJP; roadshows are in this year

For the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP has chosen to hold “roadshows” in Tamil Nadu rather than the customary public gatherings, which are mostly hosted by Dravidian parties.

Although the BJP has these kind of gatherings from time to time, its main emphasis is on roadshows since the people in the northern states have responded well to them.

To support NDA candidates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman, and others are still doing roadshows across Tamil Nadu.

BJP party bosses feel that by bringing important leaders out on roadshows, people would be able to relate to them more readily when they see the leaders up close. They anticipate that it will be beneficial in this election.

The leaders of two well-known state parties, the DMK and the AIADMK, contend that such initiatives are futile, particularly if the people is not won over with compelling speeches.

Roadshows gained attention in the political sphere when AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami sharply criticized BJP roadshows at a recent public gathering in Pollachi. He questioned if the BJP’s mere roadshows were enough to win votes from the public.

In response, K Annamalai, the state president of the BJP, questioned EPS about the potential turnout of a roadshow.

“If Palaniswami embarks on a tour, people won’t come see him. Thus, they gather people, have them sit in a tent, read aloud from their writings, and demand that they pay attention. However, people flock to visit PM Modi and he comes to meet them. The roadshow is known as a “people darshan yatra,” according to Annamalai.

Additionally, he said that roadshows are a better option than open forums.

A roadshow, according to BJP state treasurer SR Shekhar, forges a connection between the populace and its leaders.

Senior political analyst and writer R Mani told TNIE that the roadshow approach would not work in Tamil Nadu. According to him, Dravidian parties are movements that have expanded as a result of constant communication with the populace.

Political analyst Ravindran Duraisamy, however, has a different opinion.

“After seeing how well the roadshow works in the North, the Tamil Nadu BJP has adopted it as an alternative to traditional politics.”

If there aren’t enough speakers, the BJP could have to resort to roadshows. People won’t be drawn to anybody except Narendra Modi. The PM’s “roadshow” will contribute to his hero persona. Given that it makes the people easily accessible, it will help the BJP, according to Ravindran.