Chennai: Tamil Nadu is heading for a high-stakes Assembly election, with major alliances finalising seat-sharing deals ahead of polling on April 23. The political atmosphere has electrified in the state with CM MK Staling seeking a second term for the DMK, while the AIADMK is looking to regain the throne amid infighting. The entry of actor Vijay’s TVK has made the battle even more fiercely contested.
Alliances and Seat Sharing
The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will contest 175 of the 234 seats. Its allies include the Indian National Congress (28 seats), DMDK (10), VCK (8), CPM (5), CPI (5), MDMK (4), IUML (2), KMDK (2) and MMK (2). Some smaller allies will contest on the DMK symbol.
On the other side, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) will contest 169 seats under the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol. Its alliance partners include the Bharatiya Janata Party (27 seats), PMK (18), AMMK (11), TMC (5), IJK (2), TMMK (1) and Puratchi Bharatham (1).
Four-Cornered Contest
The election is shaping into a four-cornered contest. The DMK alliance is led by M. K. Stalin. The AIADMK front is headed by Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Actor-turned-politician Vijay will lead TVK, while Seeman is fielding candidates in all 234 seats for Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
Political analysts say the DMK alliance may already have an edge in around 15 constituencies. These seats are currently held by senior DMK ministers and the Speaker. The AIADMK has left these seats to allies, avoiding direct contests in tough battlegrounds.
BJP’s Battlegrounds
Meanwhile, a key development has emerged in the BJP camp. State president Nainar Nagendran is unlikely to contest from Tirunelveli, his traditional stronghold. He is expected to shift to Sattur.
Political observers say the move is driven by multiple factors. These include a strong DMK presence in Tirunelveli, possible vote division due to TVK, and local electoral calculations.
The BJP’s key battleground seats include Mylapore, Coimbatore North, Nagercoil, Ramanathapuram and Madurai South.
Political Slugfest
In his poll campaigns, Stalin has intensified his criticism of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), accusing it of failing to safeguard the interests of key sectors such as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and traditional weavers. Addressing an election rally in Erode, Stalin alleged that the Centre’s policies had worsened economic conditions, particularly in the backdrop of the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
The Chief Minister also targeted the AIADMK-BJP alliance, alleging that it had betrayed public trust by remaining silent on issues affecting the state. In a sharp political attack, Stalin mocked AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami, accusing him of favouritism and awarding contracts to close relatives.
DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan also launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of being ‘anti-Tamil’.
On the other hand, the AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami called the DMK government ‘anti-farmer’ and blamed it for stopping the multi-crore Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar interlinking project launched by the previous AIADMK government.
Palaniswami said that the five-year rule of the DMK was marred by sharp inflation, hike in property tax, electricity bills and corruption. He alleged that corruption was rampant across government departments under the DMK rule.
Polling will be held on April 23, while counting is scheduled for May 4. The outcome is expected to be closely watched as multiple players enter the fray.
Bureau Report
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