However, the recent surge in honour killings in the state has eroded the party’s attempt to position itself as a committed force for social justice. The likes of Thirumavalavan (the leader of VCK, whose voters are primarily from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), as well as the communists, have railed against the murders prompted by inter-caste animosity.
Even the Madras High Court has expressed deep concern over the increasing instances of brutality in a state that has developed a reputation for progressive narratives and for being one of the biggest economies within India. However, the reality on the ground seems to betray the branding.
Honour killing cases
The brutal murder in Tirunelveli of the 27-year-old Dalit techie, Kavin Selvaganesh, for falling in love with a girl from a higher caste, the murder of the 22-year-old Vidya in Tiruppur by her male sibling, and the Supreme Court’s rejection of the appeal from the murders of Kannagi and Murugesan (another inter-caste couple) in 2003 are some of the cases that have received the most attention in this regard.
“Every 20 days, there is a report of honour killing in Tamil Nadu. One of the major reasons is the rallying of people in the name of castes and the glorification of certain castes. We need to organise all leftists, Dravidian movements, and even Ambedkarites in the fight against caste,” CPI(M) politburo member K Balakrishnan said on Monday.
While the official data from the TN government has recorded only one case of honour killing in the five years between 2017 and 2022, multiple media reports peg the number of such murders at 400 between 2018 and 2023, which was presented to the Madras High Court too.
Alliance partners’ stand
The court has asked the DMK government to release clear guidelines to prevent honour killings and ensure the safety of inter-caste couples. While the scathing criticism was expected from political rivals, even DMK’s allies cannot ignore the state’s failure in reining in the escalating violence, particularly against Dalits, a common term used for people from communities classified under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes list in the Indian Constitution.
Adding to Stalin’s embarrassment, his alliance partner Thirmumavalavan has announced a state-wide protest across all district headquarters of the VCK party, while demanding separate legislation to curb caste-based murders. CPI(M) too has a similar demand for a new law.
On the other hand, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is on record, saying the current law, with proper enforcement, is enough to tackle honour killings. Voters may question who’s responsible for the lack of enforcement.
Coalition politics
While DMK remains the largest party, by a mile, keeping the coalition intact is a priority for Stalin, with less than a year for the next state election. Tamil Nadu seems to witness a five-cornered fight at the moment, which includes the electoral debut of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) led by popular actor Vijay who took his political plunge in February 2024.
While the recently revived pact between the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, led by Edappadi Palaniswamy (popularly known as EPS), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has already hit the campaign trail, it isn’t as formidable as it used to be.
The split between Pattali Makkal Katchi chief S Ramadoss and his son, Anbumani (a former union minister), remains an evolving factor in determining the fate of the National Democratic Alliance.
It’s not clear which way Naam Tamilar Katchi, led by actor-turned-politician Seeman, would swing. With a reputation for a young voter base, the party’s vote share has steadily increased to 8.2% in 2024, without being part of any alliance.
According to some political pundits, the BJP’s attempt to forge a larger coalition with political entities that have splintered from the AIADMK — like former chief minister O Panneerselvam and TTV Dhinakaran — is not acceptable to EPS who has taken control of the party, against all odds, since J Jayalalithaa’s death.
While Vijay’s ability to win votes is still to be proven, most parties may find it tough to ignore his massive fan base as an actor. However, Vijay has made it clear that he’d ally with only those parties who are willing to accept him as the chief minister, if the coalition wins the election.
2021 state polls
The electoral history of Tamil Nadu in recent decades shows that the voters can be broadly classified into two categories: the ones who’d vote for the DMK at any cost, and the ones who would vote for anyone except the DMK.
In the last state assembly election held in 2021, the DMK-led coalition got 45% of the votes while the rival alliance led by AIADMK got 40%. As of now, there seem to be more challengers for the second lot than the first.
In such a fragile, if not fractured, political landscape, DMK’s strength was its time-tested coalition. However, the equations may drastically change as different political parties measure the leverage they have over respective allies and adversaries. Stalin’s margin for error is shrinking fast.
