What next for Tamil Nadu?published at 12:37 BST 4 May
Anbarasan Ethirajan
Global Affairs Reporter
In a party meeting last year, film star-turned politician C Joseph Vijay kept repeating his name as he read out the names of the constituencies his fledgling party would contest. It went – “Madurai central – Vijay, Tiruchi – Vijay” and so on.
The message was simple – “don’t worry about the candidates, I am contesting in all the constituencies”.
His supporters, mainly Gen Z, took the message and went all out on social media. Now, they have made history by helping Vijay’s TVK emerge as the single largest party – but still short of the majority mark of 118 – in Tamil Nadu as the current trends indicate.
The superstar can form the state’s next government if he can get the support of parties like Congress or other regional parties.
If that happens, it will be a watershed moment for Tamil Nadu politics. For the first time in 60 years, a non-Dravidian party will be in power.
Barring a few, almost all his candidates are new to politics and several of them will likely become ministers. There may be questions about how experienced they are to run the government of one of the richest and industrialised states in India.
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption,
Trends indicate Vijay and his TVK party are decisevely in the lead – though still short of the halfway mark
This emerging scenario also raises questions about the performance of the state’s two main parties – the DMK and the AIADMK. The current chief minister and leader of the DMK, MK Stalin, is himself staring at a defeat in his Kolathur constituency.
Despite having an established party machinery, it’s clear now that the party’s leaders failed to connect with the youth or understand their anger and frustration. Young people wanted a change, and they have delivered it now.
It’s also a huge setback for AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami. It may take a while for supporters to adjust to the new reality and come to terms with how they underestimated the popularity of Vijay.
Both parties will be going back to the drawing board to see what went wrong and how they can recover from this stunning turn of events.
But until then, it’s a new dawn for Tamil Nadu.
