A Political Journey
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| Politics of TN |
Introduction
To comprehend Tamil Nadu politics, one must first be familiar with the definition of politics and the actions involved in governing a nation, particularly the arguments between political parties in power. After India's independence, the Indian National Congress held power for a while in practically all of its states. Major figures who dominated the scene included Annaduari, K. Kamarajar, M.G.R., Karunanidhi, and Jayalalitha. Just a general idea of Tamil Nadu politics, MGR and Jayalalitha were in the ADMK, Kamaraj was in the INC, and Anna Durai and Karunanidhi were members of the DMK. As state parties gradually increased in importance in the state, it became necessary to create a political party that could challenge the INC.
DMK and Its Rise
Kamarajar, the founding father of Tamil Nadu politics, requested 39 parliamentary seats for Tamil Nadu and one for Pondicherry so that INC could win a sizable majority, enabling INC to become the dominant force in the state and reducing the number of seats in the other states. This was Kamarajar's strategic move. In order to fight against INC, political parties had to be established in the state. Then, the late Anna Durai established DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam). The 1957 elections also showed the communist party's decline in Tamil Nadu, where they had only received 2 seats in 1952. In contrast, the DMK, which was running in the polls for the first time, gained 2 lok sabha seats and 2 assembly seats.
These developments rarely received any attention due to the size of the congressional mandate. 31 of the 41 parliamentary seats and 151 of the 205 assembly seats were won by INC. Many of the serious congress officials who thought of the DMK as just a low level organization that was unlikely to see electoral success was shocked by the support the party received in the 1957 election, which contributed to its acceptance as a political party. In the 1967 election, the DMK, led by Anna Durai, completely changed the course of history. The first and one of the rare states where a non-Congress party gained more seats was Tamil Nadu. It marked the start of the Congress party's downfall in Tamil Nadu. Soon, state parties in Tamil Nadu drastically cut the number of seats granted to the INC.
Death of Anna and Change in Politics
After the death of Anna Durai in 1969, Karunanidhi was able to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu with the assistance of the minister and other powerful party members. The anti-Hindi and anti-Delhi movements combined ideas of the cabinet persisted from 1969 to 1976. The adjustment in the distribution of jobs based on castes was one of DMK's best and finest moves. As a result, the people of Tamil Nadu began to think that DMK was superior to INC. Additionally, it offered rural residents a chance to shine, which decreased the representation of those from forward castes.
The DMK became the dominant force in Tamil Nadu in 1971. After 1967, the DMK backed the Congress Party under Indira Gandhi, and 25 of its MPs made sure that she remained in office as a minority government from 1969 to 1971. A disagreement inside the DMK resulted in MGR's expulsion from the organisation. After a year, the central government removed DMK government and implemented presidential rule. Since that time, DMK has begun its dark phase. A number of top figures have been detained, including M.K. Stalin, Karunanidhi's son. This was the toughest situation a DMK leader has ever faced in history.
New Phase with MGR
MGR served as chief minister till his passing in 1987. His next two elections, held in 1980 and 1984, were victories. The average man was able to obtain all the necessities and essentials for living during Tamil Nadu's golden age. He had introduced a number of initiatives for regular people. He earned the title of "People's Chief Minister" because he had felt the pain of hunger and was simple to talk to. The first group to receive assistance were hand rickshaw drivers who bought boards and fishing nets for the local fishing population. The most well-known programme was the Kamaraj Noon Scheme, which was adapted to meet the demands of the general public in terms of health and provided children with eggs. His goal was to give the economically underprivileged sectors appropriate nutrition.
Due to this, MGR became more well-liked than any other leader in Tamil Nadu, and other programmes he introduced also gained popularity and gave the caste allotment more weight. MGR eliminated corruption and implemented reforms, such as establishing an income threshold for members of the underprivileged classes to qualify for reserved places in government colleges and jobs. He began his career as an actor before switching to politics, which allowed him to dominate Tamil Nadu and establish himself as a legendary national figure. Even during his political and Kollywood careers, he had to run everything by himself. He provided a model for other well-known actors looking to enter politics. Following MGR's lead in 1983, NTR won the election for the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. No other performer has since been able to match MGR's success in electoral politics. MGR ruled Tamil Nadu until his death in 1987, when he passed away.
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