Around 100 seconds into the election campaign song unveiled by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on April 1 come the images of CN Annadurai and MG Ramachandran, the two biggest icons of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). They are immediately followed by the image of Vijay. It is no oversight or the work of an enthusiastic video editor. It is increasingly clear that the unsubtle message being driven home is that Vijay is the natural political successor to Anna and MGR.
Analyse the moves made by Vijay on Tamil Nadu's political chessboard, and it is very obvious that demolition of the AIADMK dream of a comeback to power is on the agenda before he battles MK Stalin on April 23. What is being undertaken is a less-than-hostile takeover of the AIADMK template, fundamentally replacing the party founded by MGR in the mindspace of the anti-DMK voter.
Elections in Tamil Nadu have always revolved around the two-pole narrative. Vijaykanth, popularly referred to as 'Karuppu MGR' ("dark-complexioned MGR") was the last one to try to break the hegemony of the two fronts, but did not quite succeed. Vijaykanth's rugged appearance resonated with the rural masses and the working classes in Tamil Nadu, pitching him as the MGR of the dark-skinned Tamilian. But the 2006 election saw him not being able to go beyond 8% of the vote, which, though impressive, failed to translate into more than one seat.
After Vijaykanth, the likes of Kamal Haasan faltered by trying to be the third player - an alternative to the two Dravidian majors - and failed miserably. Now, Vijaykanth's namesake is attempting the invocation of the MGR legacy. By repeatedly stating that the contest is between the TVK and the DMK, he is attempting to render the AIADMK as a spent force and make the two leaves wilt on the EVM.
The bid to appropriate the foundational icons of the AIADMK started last year, when an AI-generated video used a deepfake of Annadurai saying ''Thambi vaa, thalaimai thaanga vaa" ("Come brother, come to lead"), as if Vijay was being encouraged to lead the way. The TVK messaging was that the Palaniswami-led AIADMK, which has lost many of its leaders to other parties, is no longer the AIADMK of MGR and Jayalalithaa and that Vijay is now the real political successor to the AIADMK political stalwarts.
By calling the BJP his ''ideological enemy'', Vijay has also indirectly accused EPS of diluting and compromising his Dravidian roots by allying with the saffron party. By fighting all the 234 constituencies sans an alliance partner, Vijay wants to send across the message that he is the secular alternative to the DMK.
Vijay's leadership style has also taken a leaf out of Jayalalithaa's book. Like the late AIADMK supremo, he remains inaccessible, lending a mystique to his persona. Like the former chief minister, the women votebank is the key demographic for Vijay. His public interactions are limited to his speeches at public meetings, and just like AIADMK was Amma during Jayalalithaa's time, TVK today is Vijay. The image of the Supreme leader is a 'Ctrl-C-Ctrl-V' copy of the Jayalalithaa template.
Vijay's decision to contest from two constituencies (Perambur and Trichy East) is also following in Jayalalithaa's footsteps. Jayalalithaa in 1991 had contested from Bargur and Kangayam.
After Jayalalithaa's demise in 2016, the AIADMK's strength - monolithic leadership - was replaced by regional satraps. Though Palaniswami over the years has managed to get rid of his rivals in the party, he still has to prove himself as someone acceptable to all regions and caste groups and not be seen only as a Kongu belt Gounder leader. In contrast, Vijay offers the moniker alternative of the 'Thalapathy' (commander) who reigns supreme.
But it won't be so easy to peel away at the AIADMK stronghold votebank in rural Tamil Nadu, particularly in western (Coimbatore-Salem) and southern (Madurai) regions. These belts are dominated by the Gounder and Thevar communities, respectively, and were the backbone of the party during Jayalalithaa's innings. That will be Vijay's challenge, and if he can woo much of the anti-incumbency vote towards himself, the AIADMK may find itself struggling, particularly in the urban pockets.
What Vijay is offering is the AIADMK, rebranded. The party was, till 2016, led by charismatic actor-turned-politicians, and Vijay, by chipping away at the AIADMK base, is promising to go back to that era. Interestingly, he is trying to replace the AIADMK in an unconventional way. He is not taking the easy route of poaching leaders from the party. Barring a KA Sengottaiyan, and, to an extent, CT Nirmal Kumar, no senior leader has moved sides to the TVK. Vijay's bold attempt is to take away the voters of the AIADMK instead.
In Tiruchy (East) to file his second nomination on April 2, Vijay garlanded the statue of MGR and delivered his speech with the statue in the background. The significance of Vijay hyphenating his politics with MGR was not lost on anyone from Tiruchy. MGR had described this delta district as the geographical and political heart of Tamil Nadu. Vijay being seen in the same frame as MGR was a tribute to the AIADMK founder's argument that to rule Tamil Nadu, you have to first win over its heart.
(The author is a senior journalist)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
