SUPPORTING CAST

The two Dravidian majors, DMK and AIADMK, have dominated the political landscape in Tamil Nadu, with the national parties, Congress and BJP, and several caste/ community cohorts content to play small parts. Prominent among these parties which secured more than one per cent of the vote in the past 10 years are:

PATTALI MAKKAL KATCHI (PMK)

S. Ramadoss

The PMK founder is a fan of the RSS, wants the cadre to follow its methods

The party of the Vanniyars, a dominant OBC caste in northern Tamil Nadu, has a 5 five per cent share of the vote. The party is known to use violence for political gains. Economic development has enabled a large section of Vanniyars to evolve into a land owning agricultural caste in rural Tamil Nadu. The party did not win a seat in the 2016 assembly or 2019 Lok Sabha polls

DESIYA MURPOKKU DRAVIDA KAZHAGAM (DMDK)

Vijayakant

The actor, also known as the ‘Karuppu (Black) MGR’, is ailing; the party is now steered by wife Premalatha, also the party treasurer

The DMDK is demanding 41 seats, the same number it had got from the AIADMK (it had won 29 seats then) in 2011. But the party has since seen bad times, not winning a single seat in the 2016 assembly or the 2019 Lok Sabha election

MARUMALARCHI DRAVIDA MUNNETRA KAZHAGAM (MDMK)

Vaiko

A Rajya Sabha MP for long, the ex-Karunanidhi acolyte is a staunch supporter of the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils

A DMK breakaway group, it has returned to the fold after a few years in the wilderness and defeat in the 2016 assembly election. The alliance helped Vaiko’s party win a seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll under the DMK’s symbol. This election, the MDMK may fight under their own symbol

VIDUTHALAI CHIRUTHAIGAL KATCHI (VCK)

Thol. Thirumavalavan

Has a militant streak, espouses the cause of Dalits and Tamil nationalism

Formerly the Dalit Panthers, the VCK is an unrecognised registered party. Its confrontation with the PMK has led to frequent clashes between the Dalits and the Vanniyars. Thirumavalavan was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019 with the DMK’s help

Of these parties, the PMK and DMDK are likely to be AIADMK allies. The others, including the CPI and CPI(M), enjoy a small but stable vote base with the potential for reliable transfer to the DMK