ISAS Briefs

Even days after the process of filing nominations for the April 13 Assembly polls had begun, the political alliances in Tamil Nadu were in a state of flux. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) had differences regarding identification of constituencies, while the Vaiko (Vai. Gopalsamy)-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) pulled out of its alliance with the AIADMK and decided to boycott the elections. The incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazghagam (DMK) government, on the other hand, has finalised seat-sharing agreements with its allies. However, the negotiations between the DMK and Congress had proven difficult, as discussions were held against the perceived weakness of the regional party in the 2G scam controversy and the resolve of the Congress to reposition itself in the state. In what is likely to be a close and contested election, the DMK and the AIADMK are relying on traditional populist strategies such as promising freebies and relying on the film industry to mobilise the voters, apart from electoral arithmetic. This paper attempts to map the two major electoral alliances in Tamil Nadu, the factors which have gone into shaping them and to examine the electoral strategies of the two political coalitions while identifying issues which may influence the outcome.