Clash of Titans: DMK, AIADMK manage to be sole competitors

CHENNAI:  The BJP might have tried to position itself as the main ideological rival of the DMK in the run-up to the last Assembly elections. But the DMK and the AIADMK seem to have managed to keep the attention on themselves and maintain the status quo of being the major contenders in Tamil Nadu’s political sphere.

Be it the recent unveiling of the portrait of the late former chief minister M Karunanidhi in the Assembly or the OBC reservation issue, the Dravidian majors have kept the main political discourse between themselves, leaving little room for the BJP. 

In the run-up to the election, the BJP’s main card was the ‘anti-Hindu’ image of the DMK. It accused the DMK of having links with a YouTube channel that spread derogatory messages against Hindu gods. This campaign seems to have lost steam. In the wake of ambitious statements, including those on Mekedatu dam, by the BJP leaders, the AIADMK acted quickly. It organised a state-wide protest accusing the DMK government of failing to keep poll promises. This was also an apparent bid to send a message that it is the only key contender against the DMK. 

Also, with the event for unveiling the portrait of Karunanidhi in the Assembly, the DMK and the AIADMK managed to bring the focus back on the most popular political topic in the State - M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa.

The DMK and its supporters engaged with the AIADMK on social media on how the latter could not manage to have the presence of any tall national leaders for unveiling Jayalalithaa’s portrait in the Assembly. This was despite the AIADMK maintaining cordial ties with the BJP. The AIADMK cadre’s counter centered on the centenary year of the Assembly and whether the governing party was justified to have such an event; the BJP had little scope to engage in this issue.

When the Centre announced 27 per cent OBC reservation in the All India Quota of medical admissions, the BJP State unit claimed it was an achievement of the party-led Union government. The DMK leaders said the Centre was forced to implement it as a result of legal battles. They, however, mostly ignored BJP, training guns only on the AIADMK on this issue. The editorial in DMK’s newspaper Murasoli, on Wednesday, mostly criticised the AIADMK for claiming credit.

The same day, the AIADMK mouthpiece, Puratchi Thalaivi Namadhu Amma, carried an interview of former minister D Jayakumar. He took credit for his party on the matter and slammed the DMK. He did not, however, mention anything about BJP’s statements on this topic. Political observer Raveenthran Duraisamy told Express: “Though the BJP is trying to position itself as the key rival to the DMK, it has a long way to go.” Currently, only the AIADMK has the stature to challenge DMK. 

Veteran journalist and political observer Tharasu Shyam recalled how the Communist party was the major challenger for the Congress in the early years of independence. But the DMK captured that position by taking up causes relating to the masses.

“Even before the BJP party was formed, Dravidian parties had given tickets to Dalits to contest in general constituencies. And the DMK has Dalit leaders who served as union ministers. So there is very little left for the BJP to do anything revolutionary . The BJP can gain a foothold only if the AIADMK is weakened. But, it looks like this will take a long time,” he said.