Tectonic turbulence in Dravidian politics
Updated:
Updated:
March 11, 2021 01:46 IST
The power vacuum in Tamil Nadu has opened up its politics to an opportunity for change, which voters must examine
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The power vacuum in Tamil Nadu has opened up its politics to an opportunity for change, which voters must examine
Though every State (and one Union Territory) of India that will have Assembly elections this year represents a uniquely eclectic matrix of power across the contesting parties and challenges to
status quo, nowhere has a sea change in ground realities swept across the political landscape more than in Tamil Nadu. For the first time in half a century, the land of the Dravidian movement is joining the democratic fray sans the towering personalities of leaders in both the major parties that have historically ruled it the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The passing of M. Karunanidhi (DMK) and Ja
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri on Sunday said his party did not intend seeking a share in power if the DMK is elected after the April 6 assembly poll. He expressed joy over the Congress getting 25 seats from the Dravidian partner. His party has, however, sought a Rajya Sabha seat from the DMK, the TNCC leader said After signing the seat sharing agreement with DMK chief M K Stalin here, Alagiri, all smiles, told reporters that the conclusion of the deal has given his party huge enthusaism and joy. Secularism is the converging point for Congress, DMK and other constituents, he said.
TN witnesses its first Assembly polls without Karunanidhi, Jayalalithaa
Tamil Nadu, known for Dravidian duopoly, is now facing a new round of intense electoral battle between the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the absence of their stalwarts, Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi, respectively. And a new dimension in this election is the aggressive efforts by the BJP to make inroads into the State’s politics.
There are players too in the fray such as Kamal Hassan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), T.T.V. Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). They, however, are likely to occupy a portion of the space available for formations other than those led by the two major parties.
As disenchantment rises, voters will look for viable, alternative governance platforms
Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry will be taking place in changed circumstances. Polls will begin on March 27, with the results on May 2. Politics in these regions is not the same as it was five years ago. The BJP’s unrelenting pursuit of influence has unsettled conventional calculations in all these areas that are outside the core of the party’s traditional catchment area. In 2016, of the 824 seats in the fray, the BJP had won only 64 but it emerged as the ruling party in Assam. It hopes to retain power in Assam and win West Bengal, besides expanding its influence in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In 2016, the BJP had won only three seats in West Bengal, but its rise was dramatic in the 2019 Lok Sabha election when it won 18 of the 42 seats and 40.64% of votes. The BJP’s performance in West Bengal will be the most eagerly watched asp