The Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to launch its own television channel in Tamil Nadu, The Indian Express reported on Monday. The project, likely to be announced today, is slated to be an extension of Janam TV which is seen as the party’s mouthpiece in neighbouring Kerala. The launch date is yet to be announced.
“It will be based in Alwarpet in the city, and the initial cost is estimated to be around Rs 15 crore, which will be mobilised using party and RSS resources in Tamil Nadu,” the report said, citing a senior BJP leader.
The party leader further said that the project will be heralded by the party’s state unit president K Annamalai, who is also believed to be the brain behind the project. The primary purpose of the projct, the party leader said, was to provide “comprehensive coverage of his state-wide padayatra beginning April 14, 2023”.
The project in Tamil Nadu, which is set to be an extension of Janam TV in Kerala, could act as a key weapon in the BJP’s armour as the party looks to cement its place as a key independent player in the state which has been primarily ruled by the DMK and the AIADMK for several years.
While the BJP has already announced that it will contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024 under the leadership of the AIADMK, there have been ample indications that it was itching to part ways with its alliance partner. The tussle comes with an eye on the Assembly elections due to be held in the state in 2026.
With the AIADMK itself in a quandary over its future prospects amid a split within the party owing to the continuing rift between E Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, the BJP is eying deeper inroads in a state under the leadership of IPS officer-turned-politician Annamalai
Janam TV, on the other hand, has acted as a key influence for the party in Kerala, especially at the height of the Sabarimala row when the channel was reported to have drawn viewership equivalent to mainstream news channels.