Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa no more, Dravidian politics won't be the same again

CHENNAI: It’s like a lull after a storm. With the passing away of DMK chief M Karunanidhi on August 7 and the death of his rival J Jayalalithaa a year-and-a-half ago, the fizz has virtually gone out of Dravidian politics. Many, including their contemporaries, rivals, associates, party workers and bureaucracy in Tamil Nadu and across the country will mourn their absence in the decades to come -- their style of politics and their administration.
READ ALSO: Karunanidhi no more
For the gen-next, dreaming of a Utopia, however, the time has come to craft a new genre of politics that would be corruption-free, transparent and accountable.
Watch: The life and times of M Karunanidhi
However, the DMK and the AIADMK are likely to continue to dominate politics in the state for a couple of more decades. For Karunanidhi’s son and DMK working president M K Stalin, the ascension to the political throne will be smooth. While family members can prove irritants, Stalin will largely be in control, steering party affairs and fighting to win forthcoming elections.
The AIADMK, burdened by simmering feud between chief minister-party joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami and deputy CM-coordinator O Panneerselvam, has been significantly weakened. Dissident leader T T V Dhinakaran’s possible return to the AIADMK fold could change the political tide.
As for the Congress and the BJP, their survival in Tamil Nadu may continue to hinge on which of the Dravidian Goliaths they are likely to ride piggy back.
Several other regional players like the PMK, DMDK, MDMK and VCK may continue to dabble in politics, but with mere dents on the TN political canvas.
All eyes are now on the two lead players – actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. While Kamal Haasan, who launched his political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam in February this year, is attempting to stride both worlds – politics and cinema, Rajinikanth, who revealed intent, is yet to launch a party and steer his political course.
All in all, even without Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, there’s bound to be fireworks in Tamil Nadu political horizon in the coming years.