Vijay‘s victory in Tamil Nadu is easy to interpret as the rise of another film star in a state in which cinematic acclaim and political success are enmeshed. It may, however, mark a more consequential shift to a post-Dravidian phase in Tamil politics. Post-Dravidian does not mean anti-Dravidian. It means that welfarism, social justice, and Tamil pride are now being detached from the duopoly of the Dravidian parties over nearly six decades.
The numbers reveal the scale of the disruption. Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam won 108 seats in the 234-member assembly, ahead of DMK‘s 59 and ADMK’s 47. TVK, short of a majority, is reportedly reaching out to Congress (5) and PMK (4) for support. Nonetheless, TVK has already done something remarkable by breaking the longstanding view in Tamil politics that voters have no choice except DMK or ADMK.
