In a country where the Hindutva right wing has held not just an ascendant but a hegemonic position across States, Tamil Nadu remains one of the striking exceptions. This owes much to the political idiom of social justice and Tamil identity that has limited political competition to the two Dravidian parties for decades, with national forces reduced to junior partners. The alliance does not bill itself as an ideological coalition unlike the DMK-led alliance, and also carries internal contradictions such as incorporating the AIADMK-breakaway, the AMMK. The ideologically taut DMK-led alliance with the Congress, Left, the VCK and smaller parties has helped it secure parliamentary, Assembly and local body wins in the last decade. If the TVK splits the anti-incumbency votes, it would benefit the DMK-led coalition.

Source: The Hindu March 21, 2026 03:50 UTC