LOOKING FOR A GRAND ALLIANCE
India Today|December 14, 2020
THE BJP IS USING ITS ‘KINGMAKER’ IMAGE TO PUSH FOR A COALITION AND BREAK THE VICE-LIKE GRIP OF THE DRAVIDIAN PARTIES
Amarnath K. Menon
LOOKING FOR A GRAND ALLIANCE

The ruling All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the state BJP had been on a collision course in Tamil Nadu in the past few months, but poll exigencies seem to have forced a patch-up. On November 21, the two sides declared that the alliance will continue through the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly election in AprilMay 2021. At an official meeting in Chennai, Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam also echoed Union home minister Amit Shah’s sentiments about the enduring relationship of the two parties. The ‘development versus dynasty’ rhetoric was also resuscitated as the two discussed the coming election battle with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-Congress alliance.

Having lost two consecutive elections, the DMK, steered by M.K. Stalin, is determined to pull out all the stops to seal a win for the party. If he does manage it, the 67-year-old son of the late party patriarch, M. Karunanidhi, will become chief minister for the first time. The BJP, of course, has its own plans to finally secure a firm foothold in the state in 2021 and become a major force by 2026, when the next round of elections becomes due. So, after persuading the AIADMK to announce an alliance, the saffron party is now aggressively positioning itself as an anti-DMK force.

But the biggest challenge for the BJP in Tamil Nadu is to shake off the perception of being a part of the upper castes, notably Brahmins. The strategy, then, is to rope in supporters from different castes and communities and work on the alliance it has built with the AIADMK after the death of its iconic leader J. Jayalalithaa.

Denne historien er fra December 14, 2020-utgaven av India Today.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra December 14, 2020-utgaven av India Today.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA INDIA TODAYSe alt
Shuttle Star
India Today

Shuttle Star

Ashwini Ponnappa was the only Indian to compete in the inaugural edition of BDMNTN-XL, a new international badminton tourney with a new format, held in Indonesia

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
There's No Planet B
India Today

There's No Planet B

All Living Things-Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) returns with 72 films to be screened across multiple locations from Nov. 22 to Dec. 8

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED
India Today

AMPED UP AND UNPLUGGED

THE MAHINDRA INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL PROMISES AN INTERESTING LINE-UP OF OLD AND NEW ACTS, CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS THE 'WOODSTOCK OF INDIA'

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
A Musical Marriage
India Today

A Musical Marriage

Faezeh Jalali has returned to the Prithvi Theatre Festival with Runaway Brides, a hilarious musical about Indian weddings

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
India Today

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Nikhil Advani’s adaptation of Freedom at Midnight details our tumultuous transition to an independent nation

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
Family Saga
India Today

Family Saga

RAMONA SEN's The Lady on the Horse doesn't lose its pace while narrating the story of five generations of a family in Calcutta

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
THE ETERNAL MOTHER
India Today

THE ETERNAL MOTHER

Prayaag Akbar's new novel delves into the complexities of contemporary India

time-read
2 mins  |
November 25, 2024
TURNING A NEW LEAF
India Today

TURNING A NEW LEAF

Since the turn of the century, we have lost hundreds of thousands of trees. Many had stood for centuries, weathering storms, wars, droughts and famines.

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART
India Today

INDIA'S BEATING GREEN HEART

Ramachandra Guha's new book-Speaking with Nature-is a chronicle of homegrown environmentalism that speaks to the world

time-read
3 mins  |
November 25, 2024
A NEW LEASE FOR OLD FILMS
India Today

A NEW LEASE FOR OLD FILMS

NOSTALGIA AND CURIOSITY BRING AUDIENCES BACK TO THE THEATRES TO REVISIT MOVIES OF THE YESTERYEARS

time-read
6 mins  |
November 25, 2024