A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD

ELECTION RESULTS SINCE 2019 SEEM TO SUGGEST THE DMK HAS AN EDGE. BUT PARTY CHIEF M.K. STALIN IS YET TO CONSOLIDATE THE GAINS

- Amarnath K. Menon

FOR MUTHUVEL KARUNANIDHI STALIN, who turns 68 on March 1, this will be the ultimate challenge of his career. If he and his party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), fail to dislodge the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in the Tamil Nadu election this time too—the latter has been in office for a decade—Stalin’s hopes of occupying the coveted chief minister’s seat in Fort St George (the seat of the state administration) may be lost forever.

For the DMK, the sweeping victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha election (the party-led alliance won 38 of the 39 seats) came as a welcome boost in its preparations for the 2021 assembly poll. Despite the pandemic, Stalin has not let go of the momentum. He has been video-conferencing with party cadre and has also been holding all-party conferences and physical protests over select issues. The party has also reorganised the district committees, bifurcating some to make them more manageable and giving responsibility to more second-and third-tier leaders to energise the party in the districts. The election of Durai Murugan, 82, as party general secretary to replace the late K. Anbazhagan may have also put possible intra-party rumblings to rest.

Other than introducing Prashant Kishor’s I-Pac as poll consultant, the DMK continues with its cadre-based strategy from the 2016 assembly poll. The district-wise cadre-centric webinars are on, but the party has still not been able to whip up youth momentum, like the last time round. The DMK is still focusing on young and first-time voters, highlighting issues such as NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test), NEP (National Education Policy) and unemployment.