DMK CHIEF M. K. STALIN BECOMES TAMIL NADU CHIEF MINISTER

“Stalin Thaan Varraaru, Namakku Vidivu Tharraaru” (Stalin is only coming and will give us a Dawn) was the key slogan around which the Indian political party” Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam” (DMK) conducted its election campaign for the Tamil Nadu State Assembly polls held this year. The message conveyed by the slogan was that the DMK led by its leader M.K. Stalin was definitely winning the elections and that Stalin as Chief Minister would usher in a new Dawn for all. The first part of the slogan has been proven right. With the DMK winning the recently concluded Tamil Nadu state assembly elections, Stalin has certainly arrived. Now the 72 million population of Tamil Nadu state waits for the new Chief Minister Stalin to usher in a new dawn and make the second part of the campaign slogan come true.

- D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Polls were held under the first past the post winner system to 234 Constituencies of the state legislature in Tamil Nadu on April 5. One more MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) would be nominated to represent the Anglo-Indian community. The results were declared on May 3.

Since 1967 the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu has been ruled by political parties subscribing to what is termed as Dravidian ideology. Either the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) or its alternative the All India Anna-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have been enjoying power in the State alternately. 2021 Elections too conformed to this pattern. The DMK led by MK Stalin defeated the AIADMK led by Edappaadi K. Palaniswamy that had ruled the State for 10 years

The DMK led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) won 159 seats while the AIADMK led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 75. No other party or alliance won even a single seat. The Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NMK) led by cinema director cum actor Seemaan contested all 234 seats and came third by polling over three million votes even though it failed to get an MLA elected.

Of the 159 seats won by the SPA, the DMK won 133 while its allies the Indian National Congress (INC), Viduthali Chiruthaigal Katch (VCK), Communist Party of India(CPI) and Communist Party (Marxist)of India(CPI-M) obtained 18, 04,02 and 02 seats respectively. Among the 133 seats won by the DMK, eight belonged to smaller parties who contested under the DMK symbol of the rising sun. The breakdown of the seats garnered by these parties are -Marumalarchchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) -04, Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK) -01, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) -01 and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi(MMK)-01.

Of the 75 seats won by the NDA, the AIADMK won 66 while its allies the Pattaligal Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got five and four seats each respectively.