Caste, freebies, Dravidian ideology & a new player—Tamil Nadu election no longer a DMK, AIADMK duopoly

**Chennai:** The date is locked, the battle lines drawn, and the political parties are all geared up for the poll battle in Tamil Nadu, where Dravidian ideology still calls the shots in the political landscape.

Voting will take place on 23 April, while the results will be declared on 4 May. The last date for filing nominations is 6 April followed by the scrutiny of nominations on 7 April. The last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is 9 April.

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Though major political parties remain anchored in Dravidian ideology, they still remain divided over authenticity, alliances with the Centre, populism than ever. In power since 2021, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies defend anti-incumbency through welfare delivery, secularism and high growth claims. The ruling party, however, is accused of nepotism and dynasty politics.

On the other hand, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has teamed up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with smaller allies like Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). The AIADMK, thus, faces barbs from its Dravidian rival of joining hands with the Hindutva forces.

A third alternative is now up with the emergence of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which is trying to position itself as a powerful independent force by contesting all 234 assembly seats.

The 2026 polls are being defined by a mix of governance issues, social fragmentation and ideological clashes. Rising crime rate, rural distress in some belts, women’s safety and empowerment, versus the broader ideological war against Hindutva are also being discussed by major political parties.

Political analyst Ramu Manivannan says that the BJP and opposition parties are picking up law and order, and women safety concerns as an assessment of governance.

The sustainability of freebie culture is another major flashpoint. The DMK’s popular schemes such as financial aid for women, free school breakfasts, free bus pass have gained it wide support, yet the rivals argue these create fiscal dependency, crowd out productive spending and fail to be implemented effectively. The opposition parties promise “responsible welfare” and development-focused governance.

“We have seen a fairly good response to the schemes such as Naan Mudhalvan, free bus travel, free breakfast. We cannot completely dismiss that these programmes have worked and there is a visibility to it. The schemes can always be criticised but people do benefit because it is a welfare initiative,” Manivannan told ThePrint.

“A line needs to be drawn to ensure that people qualify for gaining these benefits. Opposition parties don’t completely dismiss all these schemes even if they come to power; it’s just political play.”

Both the AIADMK and the BJP are harping on infrastructure and economic growth. The DMK is aggressively highlighting the ‘Dravidian Model’ that, it claims, brought in massive industrial investments, IT sector expansion and inauguration of hundreds of urban and rural projects, asserting that welfare and jobs can go hand-in-hand.

Bolstered by the tie-up with the BJP, the AIADMK promises to revive its rural-focused development style with better execution. It argues that only an alliance with the Centre can bring in true progress.

“We have seen the funds going to Gujarat for several schemes and investments are being led there. When compared to other states, especially in the south we can see that the void is clearly visible,” Manivannan says. “This is what the DMK is raising, and the AIADMK needs to defend its interest and maintain the state rights. It does not have a leader who stands their ground and it has succumbed to the idea of BJP, which has weakened its ideological stand.”

Can’t believe my parents actually support Vijay.