By Mukesh 
The BJP has struggled to establish a foothold on its own in Tamil Nadu, where politics has been dominated by the Dravidian majors for more than five decades, but the party has gained momentum in the State in recent years.
The BJP was long viewed as a “North Indian” party, with the Dravidian majors, particularly the DMK, carefully constructing a narrative portraying the BJP as a political outsider in the State.