Four states and one Union territory will witness a war of ideas this month. It would be a mistake to consider the upcoming assembly elections as mere jousting for power by rival political parties. This will be a duel between principles nurtured over decades and emerging political thought.

Let’s begin with Tamil Nadu. In 1967, nine states first elected non-Congress governments, and, till date, the Congress has not regained the lost political ground in Tamil Nadu. Currently, it is in coalition with the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK). Even after a long partnership, both the parties constantly differ over seat- and power-sharing. The Congress wants more seats to share power if they win, Stalin is completely against any kind of power-sharing with the Congress. This time though, India’s Grand Old Party was able to wrest more seats from him.

The BJP, which has been eyeing a foothold in the state for years now, attempted a tie-up with Tamil superstar Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). But Vijay decided to go alone. Only time will tell if he will make a difference. If Vijay ends up being a vote-splitter, then the opposition’s plan can go awry. Stalin would be the ultimate beneficiary in such a scenario.

Stalin is facing anti-incumbency. The Opposition is aggressively cornering him on the issues of law and order and........

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