The defeat of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) by the newcomer Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) took many by shock. The two Dravidian parties have tried to explain their respective successes and losses, while scholars of Tamil politics grapple to make sense of the Vijay phenomenon. On Thursday, former Chief Minister and DMK leader M K Stalin put out a video on his X account, where he graciously claimed responsibility for the defeat of the DMK and invited the public to offer suggestions for improvement in the future.
There is no doubt that the DMK needs to evolve and reinvent itself according to the times, as Stalin himself noted. For that to happen, however, the DMK must bring in a real leadership transformation — and the name is Kanimozhi Karunanidhi.
Time and again, women voters have not found much inspiration in the DMK. When Jayalalithaa was around, AIADMK was able to garner women’s votes in larger numbers than the DMK. Her welfare measures, such as the Amma Mess, greatly empowered women at the local level. In contrast, the DMK leadership is not only seen as male, it is also seen as a space where women cannot aspire to higher positions. Despite welfare measures such as free bus-passes for women, the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam, Pudhumai Penn Thittam, and others, the DMK was unable to project its impact onto its image. Worse, law and order problems also contributed to a negative public perception. Vijay, in contrast, was seen as a protective brother figure and won over a substantial portion of women voters.
To what extent women leaders would be able to achieve actual empowerment in the TVK remains to be seen, but a perception is that the DMK does not promote powerful women leaders. That the DMK is seen to be taking corrective measures in this regard is important for the reinvention of the party. And nothing can make it as visible as a change in the leadership.
Kanimozhi is a seasoned politician, with years of experience behind her and years of service ahead of her. Born in 1968, a year after the DMK first came to power, she is perfectly placed as a successor to Stalin and as a senior for Udhayanidhi. Her work in the party has won great respect among its leaders and cadres, young and old.
M Karunanidhi’s daughter is also an intellectual in her own right. She can hold her ground in conversations on language, literature, culture, history, and Dravidian politics. She is well known for her involvement in cultural events in the state. She displayed her competence not just as a spokesperson of Tamil interests in the Lok Sabha, but also as an articulate defender of national interests when she led the all-party team to Russia following Operation Sindoor. For the latter, she won praise even from the Centre.
On his very first day as Leader of Opposition, Udhayanidhi posed sharp questions to the new Chief Minister, Vijay. Following Udhayanidhi’s provocative remarks on Sanatan Dharma, Vijay showed maturity by not responding directly. Instead, cabinet minister Aadhav Arjuna responded saying that TVK is against Hindutva, and not Hindus, and further that Sanatan Dharma in the North means Hinduism, but in the South, means inequality.
But the DMK should note that while these “culture wars” agitate both the right-wing as well as the anti-caste ecosystems, they do not translate to votes. The common person in Tamil Nadu is indifferent to fiery debates on the Sanatan because it is not a term or concept they associate with in their daily lives. Most of the voters, women especially, are believers, but are not political on the basis of religion, an important thing for the spirit of secularism in the state. Women’s safety and welfare, however, are important voter issues.
Kanimozhi can potentially be that face, which stands for security, order, as well as social justice. There is also another important factor. Both Vijay and Udhayanidhi were known as cine-stars before they became politicians. It is known that Vijay has the greater influence, following, and star power. In a confrontation, Vijay appears, or is made to effectively appear, bigger. The meme wars that their followers have unleashed on each other are drawn more from cinema than from any deep political thought. And TVK, in content creation, is more effective.
With Kanimozhi, a different dynamic enters. At the moment, she is the most well-known woman leader from Tamil Nadu. An attack on her could be easily seen as an attack on women. The emotive popularity of the Kannagi story and various Amman deities is a social testimony to that.
As it refashions itself, the DMK should learn that the voter is won over not only by rational choice, but also by emotive affect, sometimes more. They may want to tone down their pagutharivu (rationalism, as propagated by Periyar) component a bit and invest more in winning back popular appeal among women voters. Through not only new technologies, but also with a new face for the party.
The writer is Smuts Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in Lok Sabha 
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