Opinion | Stalin, Mamata And The Limits Of 'Regional Identity' Politics

Updated: May 11, 2026 12:44 pm IST Published On May 11, 2026 12:44 pm IST Last Updated On May 11, 2026 12:44 pm IST

Published On May 11, 2026 12:44 pm IST

Last Updated On May 11, 2026 12:44 pm IST

On voting day in Chennai on April 23rd, at the Justice Basheer Ahmed College polling booth, I jostled through the crowds to ask MK Stalin for his message to voters. He replied, "Tamil Nadu will win." When I shot back, "What does that mean?" he simply said, "It's understood."

This was the DMK's narrative: Tamil Nadu is the DMK, and the DMK is Tamil Nadu. It is strikingly similar to the BJP's claim that Bharat is them and they are Bharat.

The claim that the DMK is the sole custodian of Tamil pride, capable of protecting it from Hindutva, has been the party's primary electoral plank through the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, as well as the 2021 and 2026 Assembly elections. So, when Stalin said "Tamil Nadu will win," the subtext was that the DMK would win. However, the "Vijay frenzy" allowed the electorate to see through that conflation.

Yes, the DMK fought against Hindi imposition. Yes, its ideology has shaped - and continues to shape - Tamil Nadu's political journey. But........

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