Tamilisai Soundararajan. File
| Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran
The BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit is planning to reach out to people across the State through multiple methods, including online, to identify their core needs, seek their suggestions, and frame its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking to The Hindu, senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is heading the 13-member panel to draft the party’s election manifesto, said at the first meeting of the panel held recently, it was decided to elicit the opinions and needs of the people Assembly segment-wise.
She said suggestion boxes to elicit responses will be placed by the party at prominent public places where people gather in large numbers in each Assembly constituency. Further, the party is planning to deploy vehicles to collect opinions at people’s doorsteps. A dedicated online portal would soon be made functional where the public can record their views.
When asked whether the party has any plans for populist announcements, Dr. Soundararajan said, “In the manifesto, greater importance will be given to development than to populism. The objective is to include the needs of people whose grievances had been neglected for a long time. Core issues faced by people on a day-to-day basis will be focused on rather than emotional subjects.”
The BJP’s manifesto will be unique, focusing on addressing the needs of various sections of society. “It will be the manifesto of the people, by the people, and for the people,” said K.S. Radhakrishnan, a member of the committee.
A.N.S. Prasad, another member of the committee, said the panel has decided to tour across the State. It will visit the Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, and Madurai zones to elicit opinions from farmers’ associations, trade unions, and other organisations.
Dr. Soundararajan added that the manifesto committee has planned to hold discussions with BJP leaders in Maharashtra and Bihar, where the NDA won elections in recent years, to seek their suggestions as well. The party is likely to finalise its manifesto in another 30 to 40 days.
Published – January 27, 2026 03:12 pm IST
