Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 8 - The Indian EYE 041726
P. 8

    EYE ON INDIA                                                             APRIL 17, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    8

                              ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS SERIES: TAMIL NADU

                    Sharp Rhetoric, Shifting Alliances

                      and a Three-Way Strategy Battle

            As campaigning intensifies, parties deploy contrasting narratives—welfare, anti-incumbency and identity—to shape voter choice

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            and aligning with AIADMK’s region-
                                                                                                                  al base, attempting to merge national
            Chennai
                                                                                                                  and state-level narratives.
                    ith Tamil Nadu heading into                                                                       Adding further complexity is the
                    a single-phase Assembly                                                                       emergence of actor-turned-politician
            Welection  on April  23, po-                                                                          Vijay, whose party Tamilaga Vettri Ka-
            litical parties are sharpening distinct                                                               zhagam (TVK) is set to make its elec-
            strategies  that  reflect  both  ideologi-                                                            toral debut. His entry introduces the
            cal positioning and electoral compul-                                                                 possibility of a three-cornered contest,
            sions, turning the contest into a com-                                                                potentially reshaping vote shares and
            plex battle of narratives, alliances and                                                              disrupting traditional alliances.
            voter mobilisation.                                                                                       While Vijay’s campaign details
                At the centre of the contest is the                                                               remain less defined in comparison to
            ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhag-                                                                       established parties, his presence itself
            am (DMK)-led Secular Progressive                                                                      represents a strategic wildcard. In a
            Alliance (SPA), which is framing the                                                                  state where cinema and politics have
            election as a defence of state iden-                                                                  historically intersected, his appeal
            tity,  governance  record  and  welfare                                                               could draw younger voters and those
            politics. Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s                                                               disillusioned with existing options,
            party has leaned heavily on emotional                                                                 forcing both DMK and AIADMK to
            and ideological messaging, projecting                                                                 recalibrate their outreach.
            the  election  as  more  than  a  routine                                                                 Across parties, a common thread
            political contest.                                                                                    is the intensification of rhetoric. DMK
                “This election is not merely be-  Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran, with the blessings and guidance of Prime Minis-  leaders have accused Palaniswami of
            tween political parties but between                                                                   being aligned with the BJP, with one
            Tamil Nadu and forces that oppose   ter Narendra Modi, during campaign for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election in Sathur   leader stating he had become a “slave
            its interests,” DMK leader Kanimozhi   Assembly Constituency, in Virudhunagar on Thursday. (@NainarBJP X/ANI Photo)  of the BJP,” while AIADMK and BJP
            said during campaigning, adding that                                                                  leaders have countered with allega-
            it is about “upholding the dignity of   mobilisation. Party chief Edappadi K   (BJP) adds another dimension to its   tions of corruption and dynastic con-
            the state” and ensuring that Tamil   Palaniswami has focused on attacking   strategy. The NDA is projecting itself   trol. These exchanges highlight a shift
            Nadu does not “bow its head.” This   the DMK government’s performance   as a cohesive alternative, with central   toward more confrontational cam-
            framing signals a strategy that blends   and projecting confidence about a re-  leaders actively campaigning in the   paigning as polling day approaches.
            regional pride with resistance to per-  turn to power.              state. Union Minister Piyush Goyal    Yet beneath the rhetoric lies a
            ceived external pressures, particularly   “Our  goal  is  to form  the  gov-  accused the DMK government of cor-  clear strategic divergence. The DMK
            from the Centre.                  ernment again… we are active-     ruption and blocking development,   is banking on welfare delivery, region-
                The DMK is also foregrounding   ly campaigning… explaining our   alleging that “development had stag-  al identity and governance continuity.
            its welfare record to consolidate its   achievements and highlighting the   nated over the past five years due to   The AIADMK-led NDA is relying on
            voter  base.  Kanimozhi  highlighted   shortcomings of the DMK govern-  corruption.”                  anti-incumbency, alliance strength
            schemes  such  as  financial  assistance   ment to gather votes,” Palaniswami   Goyal also framed the contest as   and criticism of the ruling party’s re-
            for students, which she said would in-  said, indicating a dual strategy of de-  a choice between governance models,   cord. Meanwhile, Vijay’s entry intro-
            crease from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 if the   fending past governance while target-  saying the NDA would deliver ad-  duces uncertainty, potentially frag-
            party returns to power, and the revival   ing current incumbency.   ministration similar to that of former   menting votes and  altering  electoral
            of the laptop scheme aimed at benefit-  The AIADMK’s campaign rhet-  Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. At the   arithmetic.
            ing millions of students. The emphasis   oric has also turned sharply personal,   same  time, he  attacked what he  de-  With 234 constituencies going to
            on continuity and expansion of  wel-  with Palaniswami’s remarks on Sta-  scribed as dynastic politics within the   polls and counting scheduled for May
            fare  reflects  a  calibrated  attempt  to   lin’s handling of crises sparking strong   DMK, claiming the party was domi-  4, the outcome will depend not just on
            retain support among key constituen-  backlash. While such attacks have   nated by a single family.   campaign intensity but on which of
            cies, including youth and rural voters.  drawn criticism from DMK leaders as   The BJP’s role within the alli-  these strategies resonates most with
                On the other side, the All India   “vulgar” and “indecent,” they reflect   ance  is  significant.  While  historically   voters. As parties refine their messag-
            Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam    a deliberate attempt to provoke and   a marginal player in Tamil Nadu, it   ing in the final stretch, Tamil Nadu’s
            (AIADMK), leading the National    dominate the political narrative, par-  is leveraging national leadership and   election is shaping up as a contest
            Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the   ticularly in a high-stakes election.  development narratives to expand its   not just of numbers, but of narratives
            state, is pursuing a strategy centred on   Crucially, the AIADMK’s align-  footprint. Its strategy includes direct   competing to define the state’s politi-
            anti-incumbency  and  organisational   ment with the Bharatiya Janata Party   outreach, high-visibility roadshows   cal future.

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 |