![]() also saw the AIDMK-BJP alliance sweep 53 of its 57 state Assembly seats in the recently concluded elections.īut BJP state leaders argue that the area has been neglected by the government in Chennai. The area, which has important industrial centres like Coimbatore, Salem, Namakkal, Tirupur, etc. The region identified with the contours of Kongu Nadu is economically important for Tamil Nadu and politically significant for the BJP and its ally AIADMK. What Are The Implications Of The Kongu Nadu Debate? Kongu Nadu was “blessed with huge wealth, a pleasant climate and distinct features" and control over the region passed from Chera, Pandya, Chola and Hoysala hands to Muslim rulers and, finally, the British. It says that the districts and taluks that comprised Kongu Nadu include Palani, Karur, Dharapuram, Thiruchengodu, Erode, Pollachi, Nammakkal, Salem, Dharmapuri, Nilgiris, Avinashi, Satyamangalam, Coimbatore and Udumalpet. According to reports, the name ‘Kongu’ is derived from the Kongu Vellala Gounders, who are an OBC community that is concentrated in these districts.īut a Tamil Nadu government page says that “the name Kongu Nadu draws its origin from the term ‘Kongu’, meaning nectar or honey" and that the history of this region “dates back to the eighth century". Kongu Nadu is neither a specific administrative or political unit within Tamil Nadu but a notional area lying in the western part of the state. Now, reports say that at least one local unit of the BJP in TN - in Coimbatore north district - has come up with a resolution seeking that the Centre should “reorganise Tamil Nadu and create a separate state of ‘Kongu Nadu’ to safeguard self-esteem of the people in the region, protect their livelihood and spur growth". That raised eyebrows and prompted leaders of rival political parties in Tamil Nadu to allege that BJP was trying to bifurcate the state. How Did The Topic Make Headlines?įollowing the recent Cabinet reshuffle effected by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, the BJP published a list of newly-appointed ministers where party leader L Murugan, who is a former Tamil Nadu state BJP chief, was mentioned as hailing from Kongu Nadu. The reference has been construed as being a pointed indication of the party’s support for the carving out of a separate regional entity from the territory of Tamil Nadu although doubts have been expressed over popular support for any such move. A passing mention of ‘Kongu Nadu’ in a BJP party document has opened a can of worms among the political circles in Tamil Nadu. ![]()
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