Vijay Factor-Who is Affecting the Most ?

Even before ballots are cast for the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, there is enough indication of who is losing the most this election. Edappadi Palaniswami-led AIADMK, burdened by the absence of J Jayalalithaa, Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and a non-cohesive BJP are the collateral damage. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is making his electoral debut in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming Assembly elections. Voices from the ground indicate that the nascent party is snatching away anti-incumbency votes, along with some generational voters from Opposition parties, with its promises of change. By the looks of it, the AIADMK seems to be the most affected by Vijay’s entry into politics. That is not to say that the ruling DMK isn’t losing votes to TVK. It definitely is. However, the TVK is snatching away voters of NTK, AIADMK and BJP in larger numbers than DMK voters. In most constituencies, voters cannot even recall the name of TVK’s candidate but are sure that they want to “vote for Vijay”. This euphoria, rooted in fandom rather than logical analysis, is irritating parties like NTK, which have worked hard to build a presence and vote bloc. Edappadi Palaniswamy will perhaps commandeer the party to win the second-highest number of seats, but, going forward, things are getting tougher for AIADMK.