Amid PM visits, roadshows, BJP’s absence in Trichy upsets cadres

Trichy: Since 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited Trichy four times — the highest by any Prime Minister to the city — yet the absence of BJP candidates in any of the nine Assembly constituencies here has become a concern for the party's rank and file.While Srirangam was almost finalised for the saffron party, AIADMK, the alliance leader in the state, drove a hard bargain to retain the seat. The temple constituency, an AIADMK bastion, was once represented by the party's late supremo J Jayalalithaa. Since January 2024, Modi's visits to Trichy have included a spiritual tour to the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple with a roadshow, and another visit to the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple in Ariyalur, along with a separate roadshow in Trichy city in July 2025. BJP functionaries said the frequent visits by the Prime Minister, along with Union home minister Amit Shah's visit to celebrate Pongal in Trichy in January 2026, had created renewed optimism among cadres about expanding the party's presence in the Dravidian heartland. However, despite hopes of contesting from Srirangam in the ensuing election, the BJP was not allocated any constituency in the district. Except for Trichy West, which was allotted to AMMK, the remaining eight constituencies were retained by AIADMK. "We missed capitalising on the momentum gained in Srirangam, where we enjoy traditional support amplified by the Prime Minister's visits and roadshows. This reflects poor planning on our part in selecting constituencies," a BJP national coordinator said, requesting anonymity. While districts such as Coimbatore and Madurai, and even smaller ones like Pudukkottai and Tiruvarur, were allotted seats, the absence of BJP representation in Trichy has disappointed party cadres. "Even in the 2021 Assembly election, the BJP's symbol was not on the EVM in Trichy constituencies. We are committed to unseating the DMK from power, but we acknowledge that we are underrepresented in key districts," a youth wing functionary said. Several BJP sympathisers also took to social media to express their concerns.