BJP names Kamal Haasan's ex-partner & actor Gautami star campaigner for Tamil Nadu polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Kamal Haasan's ex-partner & actor Gautami Tadimalla as one of its star campaigners for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The star campaigners for the saffron party include PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman among other Union Ministers and Tamil Nadu BJP leaders. Actor Gautami Tadimalla, a BJP leader, was in a relationship with Kamal Haasan for almost 13 years before they called it quits in 2016. 

BJP to field candidates in 20 seats + Lok Sabha constituency

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) had decided to allot 20 seats to its NDA ally BJP in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls. DyCM OPS revealed that BJP had been allotted 20 seats in the AIADMK-led alliance and wished the ally luck for the upcoming polls. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Tamil Nadu in a single-phase, with polling on April 6 followed by the announcement of results on May 2. 

It is pertinent to note that the number of seats offered by AIADMK to the BJP is less than the number of seats allotted to Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). AIADMK finalized its alliance with PMK, allowing the latter to field candidates from 23 constituencies under the alliance. Meanwhile, 'Captain' Vijaykanth's DMDK parted ways with AIADMK after multiple rounds of seat-sharing talks that did not yield any results. R Sarathkumar's All-India Samathuva Makkal Katchi decided to split ways with the AIADMK alliance after not being approached by the ruling party and has now joined hands with Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). 

Tamil Nadu Assembly elections

With AIADMK announcing its state alliance with BJP, the EPS-OPS-led party has declared itself as the ' big brother' in the NDA alliance. Former Jaya aide Sasikala announced her sudden decision to quit politics, thereby ending speculations of her role in the upcoming elections. The AIADMK has also survived a long-running tug-of-war over its leadership with Sasikala announcing her intention to retire from politics, and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran allying his AMMK with the SDPI, Asaduddin Owaiai's AIMIM and Captain Vijaykanth's DMDK. Meanwhile, in a bid to woo voters, EPS has announced a massive farm loan waiver, free COVID vaccines, Pongal gift and rescinded cases against Jallikattu protestors, anti-CAA protestors, COVID lockdown violators and Kudankulam nuclear power plant protestors. Meanwhile, ex-CM Karunanidhi's successor - DMK chief MK Stalin eyes his maiden CM term as DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats.