DMK in Pole Position, DMK is feeling sure due to Stalin’s ability to guide its alliance effectively. The party is encountering harsh battles with AIADMK in West TN and with BJP in Theni and Coimbatore.
For years, Tamil Nadu’s Lok Sabha elections have been dominated by two big coalitions. Except in 2009, the pattern held, the state’s voters split, and DMK and affiliates scored 27 of 39 spots. The remaining went to the opposing coalition. This was helmed by the AIADMK. As the state gears up for polling on April 19, it’s clear that this political face-off might reach another one-sided conclusion. This time, there’s a twist. While DMK currently leads, similar to their 2019 triumph, the party is meeting obstacles throughout the state from its AIADMK rival, as well as from the NDA coalition which includes BJP in certain areas. During the elections in 2014, the AIADMK-led coalition scooped up 37 state spots. In 2004, the DMK took it all, sweeping up every single seat.
The DMK is finding some election battles hard. In areas where the AIADMK, a party that walked away from the NDA last September and is now going it alone, seems to have put forward less potent candidates, the BJP-led group has some strong people running. There is an interesting opposite happening in Coimbatore. DMK and AIADMK are both working non-stop to handle the competition from K Annamalai. Annamalai is a big figure in the state’s BJP party and seems to be putting up a strong challenge.
Some key NDA figures set to shake things up for their opponents include Tirunelveli’s BJP member, Nainar Nagendran. In the mix, too, is Puthiya Needhi Katchi (PNK) mastermind and BJP candidate A C Shanmugam from Vellore. Kanyakumari’s BJP representative, Pon Radhakrishnan, is another noteworthy name. Let’s not overlook T T V Dhinakaran from Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) in Theni and O Panneerselvam, the freewheeler from Ramananthapuram, who stands with NDA’s endorsement.
AIADMK plans to stand strong against the DMK
The AIADMK plans to stand strong against the DMK in Western Tamil Nadu, their stronghold. In Dharmapuri, it could be a close call. Soumya, the wife of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader and ex-Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss, is running as an NDA contestant. The PMK, known to be popular with the OBC Vanniyar voters, could sway the final result.
The BJP remains hopeful about its chances in Theni and Coimbatore. Dharmapuri and Tirupur are among the seats the DMK leadership has marked for “extra emphasis” in the campaign’s closing four days.
Even though the BJP didn’t fare well in the 2019 elections, there’s optimism for a better vote share in the state. Admittedly, they only got 3.6% five years ago but hold on – they didn’t score any wins. Still, hope powers on.
Although numerous independent analyses suggest the BJP could secure 10-15% of vote shares, Annamalai anticipates a higher climb. The BJP appears to draw inspiration from Captain Vijayakanth. His party, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), emerged on the scene and ran for all 238 seats in the 2006 Assembly elections. Despite winning only one, they managed an 8.5% vote share.
The AIADMK members feel good about their odds in areas like Kallakurichi, Namakkal, Pollachi, and Tiruppur. The AIADMK and NDA are upping their game in the final stretch, but the DMK isn’t shaken. They’re ready to pull through, even with tight races in those same regions. DMK insiders say their main worry is “might-be slim victories”, especially in places like Tiruppur and Dharmapuri.
People Suggest That The DMK’s Confidence
People suggest that the DMK’s confidence comes from successfully managing their alliance since 2018. One of the higher-ranking DMK officials, not naming names, gives props to Chief Minister and DMK head honcho M K Stalin. They say he’s been the static force that’s kept their band intact. This group navigated 2019’s Lok Sabha, 2021’s Assembly, and even 2022’s local body elections. The DMK is the guiding light, leading an alliance that includes the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Left Front.
DMK in Pole Position
Reports from DMK insiders indicate that the party feels more assured due to successful political teamwork— a move led by Stalin. Key figures such as P Chidambaram, a high-ranking Congress leader, and Kamal Haasan, the chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), are allegedly guaranteed seats in the Rajya Sabha, according to sources.
Stalin, putting alliance solidarity first, allowed VCK founder Thol Thirumavalavan and MDMK leader Vaiko’s son Durai to compete using their own symbols. Despite knowing it could improve their odds of victory to use the DMK’s “rising sun” symbol, Stalin still agreed, insiders revealed.
Even though the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) lost each of the three positions it ran for in the 2021 Assembly election, the group has supposedly been “permitted to keep its identity”. The purpose? To keep the coalition strong and united.
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An experienced leader from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who’s managing the BJP’s efforts in Western Tamil Nadu, agrees that Tamil Nadu may provide a notable boost to the opposition INDIA alliance’s overall count. He mentioned that BJP’s primary objective is to enhance its own votes. If this were the Olympics, he would peg Tamil Nadu as leading the lights for the INDIA team, he shared.