Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin visits Iruttu Kadai, a sweet shop, in Tirunelveli. Photo: Special Arrangement
Tamil Nadu still has about 15 months to go before it faces Assembly elections, but major political parties have already begun re-jigging their respective organisations to get them ready for the big battle.
Earlier this month, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) bifurcated its district units and created four new units. It also gave representation to members of certain key communities. Some sulking seniors have been assuaged, weaklings removed, and those who switched over from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rewarded.
The AIADMK followed suit by appointing front-line leaders for its 82 district units. They have been tasked with visiting their respective districts and submitting reports by the end of March.
The political landscape has changed significantly since M.K. Stalin took oath as Chief Minister in the midst of COVID-19 in May 2021. While the DMK’s eight-year-old rainbow alliance is largely intact, the front that the AIADMK headed four summers ago is in a shambles and so is the party. Last year, during the Lok Sabha polls, for the first time, the Bharatiya Janata Party headed an alliance and bettered its electoral performance; Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) was recognised as a State party; and actor C. Joseph Vijay launched the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Alliances have been indispensable for the two Dravidian majors for capturing power, barring 2016, but it is too early to predict how they will take shape. What is clear, though, is that 2026 will not be a cakewalk for any party. Notwithstanding the strengths of the alliances, the NTK and TVK, if they contest on their own, could damage the prospects of the principal forces.
Despite saying that the DMK will easily win more than 200 Assembly seats, Mr. Stalin is leaving nothing to chance. He knows that it will be perilous to underestimate the potential of the AIADMK, even if the party has its own woes and weaknesses; the AIADMK could still forge a strong alliance and challenge the DMK.
Mr. Stalin hit the ground running late last year. He has been going on two-day tours to various districts, conducting roadshows, and meeting people. Video footage of Mr. Stalin eating halwa from Tirunelveli’s famous sweets shop, Iruttu Kadai, and meeting with goldsmiths in Coimbatore is reminiscent of his earlier political roadshows, such as ‘Namakku Naame (We stand for ourselves)‘ in 2015-16 and ‘Ungal Thogithiyil Stalin (Stalin in your constituency)‘ in 2021. The DMK is focused on projecting him as a father figure; Mr. Stalin says he is overjoyed when young people address him as ‘Appa (father)’. He has also launched an app, APPA (Anaithu Palli Parent Teachers Association), which is designed to bridge the communication gap between parents, teachers, and the administration. This has inevitably resulted in people wondering if the attempt is to draw parallels between him and the late AIADMK leader, Jayalalithaa, who took pride in being called ‘Amma (mother)’.
The DMK is also aware that its populist schemes, outreach programmes, and claims of having fulfilled 90% of its 505 electoral promises will not guarantee it a second consecutive term in office unless State government employees are convinced that they should vote for it. This section is disillusioned that the government has not restored the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). In an attempt to placate them, this month the government constituted a three-member committee to study the OPS, the Contributory Pension Scheme, and the Unified Pension Scheme, and submit a detailed report with recommendations within nine months.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has also been touring various districts and addressing public meetings, while battling discontent within and trying to manoeuvre a soft salvo by party veteran K.A. Sengottaiyan. As he had to face the ignominy of AIADMK candidates forfeiting deposits in seven Lok Sabha constituencies last year, and traditional support from the Mukkulathors has eroded after former coordinator O. Panneerselvam’s expulsion from the party, Mr. Palaniswami feels compelled to forge a politically creditworthy alliance. He also has to contend with external attempts aimed at preventing the AIADMK from allying with newer political forces in the State.
The political landscape is pregnant with possibilities. It is difficult to judge now which way the wind will blow.
sureshkumar.d@thehindu.co.in
Published – February 24, 2025 02:02 am IST
