LS Poll Result: ‘Baahubali’ moment for Stalin as DMK-led combine poised for massive win

PTI, Jun 4, 2024, 5:20 PM IST

M K Stalin (L) and Rahul Gandhi (Source: ANI / File Photo)

Chennai: ‘Baahubali,’ that was what Chief Minister M K Stalin said to describe the turnout for the Coimbatore rally addressed by him and Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi in April and said the “total BJP was trumped,” by that single public meeting.

With the DMK and allies far ahead in all the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state and 1 in neighbouring Puducherry, it appears the outcome, for the Stalin-led Dravidian party will be similar to the success of the popular flick Baahubali.

The streak of electoral success for Stalin steered alliance began in the 2019 LS polls and since then, be it civic polls or the 2021 Assembly elections, it has been a sweet win for the DMK, Congress and other allies including the Left parties.

Stalin often said his party led alliance was a ‘Kolgai kootani’, one based on ideology and ensured cohesion among partners and reiterated in the run-up to the elections that the INDIA bloc would win all the 40 seats.

Without doubt, the Lok Sabha election campaign of DMK and its allies in Tamil Nadu was led by the 71-year old Stalin whose election messaging appears to have resonated with the electorate.

Stalin criss-crossed the state with the theme of social justice, and repeated that if PM Modi is again voted to power, he will first do away with reservation as BJP is allergic to social justice and will also change the Constitution.

Slogans like “PM Modi visits the state only for votes, exploitative GST regime besides AIADMK’s secret alliance with the BJP, the Centre attempting to intimidate the DMK regime by using Governor RN Ravi” all appeared to have clicked with the electorate.

The CM’s focus also had been on his regime’s string of welfare schemes including the Rs 1,000 per month assistance to women, the CM Breakfast Scheme for school children and the fare-free travel in state-run buses for women have clearly worked in favour of the ruling party and allies.

Often he had said the DMK regime, despite constraints, implemented so many schemes and sought to corner the BJP by asking if the Prime Minister had the right answers to questions on schemes for Tamil Nadu, including the Madurai AIIMS project and flood relief for the state.

When the BJP tried to corner the DMK over disclosures on Katchatheevu issue, Stalin, blunted it by accusing the Saffron party of staging a “drama” by coming up with “stories” and dubbed the disclosures as “wrong information.”

The Katchatheevu issue clearly appears to have made no impact in the coastal regions including Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi. Stalin also slammed Modi for not having the courage to censure Sri Lanka and ‘no courage’ to oppose China.

The DMK chief also effectively countered BJP’s allegations of family rule by stating that his party runs a family rule to uplift every family in the state.

The Chief Minister’s accusations against the BJP like “cleaning the corrupt through the BJP washing machine,” the electoral bond ‘scam’ added to the DMK’s electoral heft.

‘Stalin Kural, Namakkagave, Nammai Kaakkave,’ (Stalin’s voice for us, to protect us) the peppy DMK’s election song also reflected a fighting spirit by asking, “shall we see if it is us or them,” (having denouncing references to the BJP like “Sanghi”)

The DMK chief often described the 2024 LS polls as the “second freedom movement” and reiterated the election is about deciding “whose regime must not continue,” rather than who should capture power. The DMK chief alleged Modi ruined the nation for the sake of his ‘selfish politics.’

After being in the opposition for 10 years, Stalin led his party to a grand victory in the 2021 Assembly elections.