Will the next generation of DMK and AIADMK have the charisma intact as their predecessors?

New Delhi, Aug 8: The demise of doyen of south Indian politics of M Karunanidhi and also the death Amma of Tamil Nadu politics J Jayalalithaa in the same year has not only left vacuum behind in the state of which they had been the chief minister for several times but it will also have its impact on the politics of the entire country not just in the state. Many developments will unfold in the days to come before the next general election is held in 2019.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) ruled the state for over five decades as the last Congress government completed its tenure in 1967 with M Bhakthavatsalam being its last Congress chief minister of the state. He he was replaced by C N Annadurai and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ruled the state for around 10 years before it split into two and M G Ramachandram formed AIADMK and becoming the chief minister of the state in 1977 and after that charismatic leadership of the DMK and AIADMK ruled alternatively with an exception in the last election when AIADMK stunned by repeating the term.

These two political parties have been ruling the roost in the states with some other fringe players winning two-three Lok Sabha seats but so-called national political parties like the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party were kept at the bay. Now what will have with the leaders with mass appeal either Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK or Karunanidhi of the DMK completing their journey of life.

The BJP has been looking from long for some space in southern India to make inroads so has been the Congress effort. Political analysts feel that it is however too early to say or predict anything but if the legacy of these leaders is not nourished by their successes of these political parties, there is every chances that aggressive political players like Amit Shah may take advantage of the situation. At the moment the BJP has just one Lok Sabha member from Tamil Nadu but it had four members from the state in 1999 Lok Sabha elections. Similarly the Congress had won 10 Lok Sabha seats in 2004.

So any laxity on part of the DMK or AIADMK will provide both the political parties - the Congress and the BJP - to spread their wings. Both of them are looking for such opportune moment and with the BJP riding on Hindutva may become aggressive in the state. A BJP leader on condition of anonymity said that the BJP was focusing on southern part of the country and would grab shrinking space of other political outfits. Not only the national BJP president but the Prime Minister has been quite frequent to the state.

The BJP is exploring alliance in the state as well so that not only the number of BJP seats in the next Lok Sabha could be increased but with alliance the presence of alliance in Parliament is more strong. So it is a threat and a challenge at the same time for regional parties to keep their flock together.