Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu on March 1, 2026, was for nothing else but election politics, dressed up as development. With the Tamil Nadu assembly elections round the corner, PM Modi inaugurated *7,100 crore worth of projects, criticised the DMK regime, and performed temple rituals at the disputed Thiruparankundram temple. In the official press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, it has been stated that the PM inaugurated projects in Puducherry and Madurai. However, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has already sensed the real purpose behind PM Modi’s visit, which is election politics. “Some come to you only during election time and go around seeking your support.” Read More
Temple Politics in Tamil Nadu: Lord Murugan as a Political Tool
Modi’s 4 PM visit to Arulmigu Subramaniyaswamy Temple at Thiruparankundram was a well-planned political ploy. This is the same temple where a burning controversy over ‘Karthigai Deepam’ had led a devotee Poornachandran, to immolate himself over a row between Hindus and Muslims over the issue of lighting.
Modi met Poornachandran’s family and said: “No matter what DMK does, the truth and devotees of Lord Murugan will win.” This is not spirituality; this is a declaration of war on secular governance in Tamil Nadu.
Senior journalist Swaminathan reveals to The Federal how BJP’s plan is simple: “Ram in the North and Murugan in the South. It is a strategy to turn devotees into voters.” Read More
The DMK’s spokesperson, TKS Elangovan, was even more direct: “He wants to play politics with Murugan. They will use the gods for their political mileage.” It’s the ultimate irony. Modi claims to be a devotee of Murugan, but his government ignores Tamil Nadu in the budget, delays the Madurai AIIMS, and visits the state only to campaign.
Attacking DMK: The Desperate Allegations
In his Madurai rally, Modi went all out to attack the DMK party. “They are the CMC government-Corruption, Mafia, Crime,” he said, attacking the DMK party. “They did transfer scams of ₹365 crore, job allocation scams of ₹900 crore, and manipulation of contracts of *1,000 crore.”
Modi said, “Some people are dreaming of returning to power in Tamil Nadu, but their dreams will turn into nightmares. The NDA will form the next government.”
The confidence of Modi in his claim seems to be hollow when we consider the actual facts he has chosen to ignore. Tamil Nadu accounts for 8.93% of India’s GDP, with only 5.8% of the population living in the state. Tamil Nadu achieved 11.19% real GSDP growth in 2024-25, the highest in the country. Tamil Nadu has a literacy rate of 80.1% compared to the national average of 74%. Per capita income in Tamil Nadu is *3.62 lakh, compared to pathetic ₹52,000 in Bihar
According to The News Mill, while accusing the DMK of “mafia-like politics,” Modi and his BJP coalition with the corruption-tainted AIADMK, the governors who block bills, and the imposition of Hindi on Tamil identity.
Tamil Leaders Fire Back
The Tamil Nadu Congress President didn’t mince words: “Even if Modi comes to Tamil Nadu 100 times, he won’t take anything from Tamil Nadu.” The people of Tamil Nadu are “far away from the ideology of the BJP and RSS.”
CM Stalin predicted: “The more PM Modi comes to Tamil Nadu, the more the loss of the NDA in the elections will increase.” This was not bravado; it was an understanding of the political realities of Tamil Nadu, which Modi cannot.
The ₹7,100 Crore Project Drama: Whose Money Is It?
Modi has inaugurated projects worth £2,700 crore in Puducherry and *4,400 crore in Madurai, including highways, railways, e-buses, and infrastructure for the new AIIMS.
The truth, however, remains that it is not Modi who has given the people of Tamil Nadu these projects. This is the money that the people of Tamil Nadu have been paying as taxes, which has come back after many years of delay. South India contributes 25-28% of the taxes for India, while it only gets 15% back from the divisible pool.
These projects were already sanctioned, as India TV News has pointed out. Modi is just inaugurating them for the purpose of the election. Tamil Nadu has been demanding these projects for many years, and it is not the announcement that makes it the generosity of Modi.
Why South India Rejects Modi’s Politics
The facts are undeniable. Modi goes to South India only during the time of the elections. Gujarat is getting continuous investments. UP and Bihar are getting continuous freebies. South India is getting continuous project launches during the time of the polls and continuous lectures on good governance the rest of the time.
This is what CM Stalin said: “The BJP is trying to subjugate Tamil Nadu in every possible manner. The list of developed states is prepared. The BJP is not included in the list. Where the BJP is in power, there is no development.”
Tamil Nadu has a rationalist culture developed over the last century by the likes of Periyar. It has a strong Dravidian culture. The people of Tamil Nadu are not going to accept the Hindi- Hindutva ideology. The secular culture of Tamil Nadu cannot accept the ideology of the RSS.
To understand the deep historical roots of Tamil Nadu’s culture and its unique civilizational identity, see our exploration of how Tamil Nadu’s ancestors may have contributed to India’s earliest civilization.
The BJP’s Track Record of Failure
The BJP has tried all tricks in Tamil Nadu. Vel Yatra did not work. Murugan Conferences did not work. The temple controversy did not work. Even in the 2021 elections, the BJP won zero seats on its own.
The DMK alliance won 159 seats, while the NDA won only 75 seats with AIADMK contributing 66 seats and BJP contributing a meager 9 seats. Now the AIADMK leader claims that NDA will win 210 out of 234 seats. This is pure fantasy mathematics. The third front formed by an actor Vijay’s TVK party will further divide the votes against the DMK party.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Modi’s visit to TN on March 1st reveals the inherent weakness of the BJP in TN. When you politicize temple issues, attack the state governments during your official visits, use official inauguration of projects as election rallies, and visit the families of victims of self-immolation for your own political gains, you don’t lead, you campaign out of desperation. Tamil Nadu does not need Modi’s lectures.
Tamil Nadu needs Modi’s central government to stop stealing South’s tax money to fund freebies in the North, to stop imposing Hindi, to stop using governors as political weapons, and to stop stalling projects for election gains.
CM Stalin has stated that it should be run “from Fort St George in Chennai, and not from Delhi.” This is not separatism, it is federalism, which the constitution promises but which the Centre will never provide.
Modi can go 100 times, inaugurate projects worth crores with the state’s own money, pray at all the temples. Still, we won’t accept the BJP ideology because the people of Tamilnadu know that election time development visits only mean desperation, not devotion.
