Tamil Nadu is No. 1 state in bribing voters: Amit Shah

His remarks came in the wake of several petitions filed by the BJP state leadership against the ruling party AIADMK.

Amit Shah, BJP, Narendra Modi, BJP TN, BJP tamil Nadu

His remarks came in the wake of several petitions filed by the BJP state leadership against the ruling party AIADMK for allegedly bribing voters during the Srirangam byelection last month.

BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday said that Tamil Nadu is the number one state in bribing voters and appealed to party workers to strengthen the party base and prevent the sabotage of democracy during elections.

Addressing a gathering of party leaders from state and district level committees at Coimbatore, he said the BJP can survive only if the party is strengthened at the booth level.

His remarks came in the wake of several petitions filed by the BJP state leadership against the ruling party AIADMK for allegedly bribing voters during the Srirangam byelection last month. During the election campaign, the BJP candidate was also attacked by AIADMK cadres.

Shah said the membership drive, launched in December, has already enrolled more than 22 lakh workers against the target of 60 lakh.

BJP national secretary P Muralidhar Rao, state president Tamilisai Soundararajan and senior leaders including H Raja, Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan and C P Radhakrishnan were present at the meeting.

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More