The assembly elections that are to be held on April 6, 2021, can be considered a pivotal moment in Tamil Nadu’s political history. The results of this election will determine whether the 60-year-long bipolar contest between the ADMK and the DMK will continue.

For the first time in his life, DMK leader and dynast politician MK Stalin has been declared the chief ministerial candidate at the age of 67. Though the fact that the DMK is targeting the post of Chief Minister and facing an election is not worthy of shock, what is new is that this time is that it is MK Stalin is the one who is at the forefront of this. Stalin ascended to the post of the party president under the pretext that he is the son of Karunanidhi, the late DMK president who was also the face of the party. He is now contesting for Chief Ministership of Tamil Nadu using the same strategy. The indelible scars of Karunanidhi’s reign that the people of Tamil Nadu faced can be repeated if Stalin is elected the Chief Minister in this assembly election.

These are things that could potentially happen if M.K. Stalin is elected as CM:

1. The law against land-grabbing was the first one of its kind to have been passed by the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for the people affected by the DMK’s land-grabbing attempts. In just two months after the passing of the law, the number of complaints from the affected population that the DMK had intimidated while in office had exceeded 4,000. The number of complaints from affected citizens alleging that the DMK has illegally taken away their land while in office had surpassed 4,000 in just two months. Cases, where DMK cadres and leaders have been accused of grabbing the lands of innocent citizens despite being out of office for ten years, are something that has become commonplace. A land grabbing case was filed even recently against Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin by a person named Sheshadri, which was settled out of court later.

2. The film industry will also be plagued by events such as the fact that only production companies established by the DMK’s heirs will be allowed to make films, and that theatres would be made unavailable for release if the films were made elsewhere, and it is expected that there will be a lack of opportunities for actors and actresses who did not support the DMK’s associated companies. The actor known to millions of Tamils as “THALA” said at a function that he was “intimidated” to attend the event, to which Karunanidhi did not react.

3. The plight of Srilankan Tamils will grow worse if they come to power. This is evident in the way in which the DMK handled the Eelam-Tamil issue better. This is especially the case because it was during the same period of time that the party was instrumental in Congress winning all 40 constituencies in 2004 and ruling the country. Even while being in a wheelchair, Karunanidhi travelled to Delhi to buy Union Ministerial portfolios for his son Alagiri, daughter Kanimozhi and his relative Dayanidhimaran. But in the Eelam-Tamil affair, a two-hour fasting stunt between breakfast and lunch was enough for the Muthamizharignar.

4. Along with the false promise of two acres of land, it is to be noted that the DMK MLA slapped a vice-chancellor of the university in Thirunelveli. It is of no doubt that the rowdies like Pottu Suresh and Attack Pandi, the killing of two ministers in front of the police inspector Vetrivel by rowdies in Tirunelveli, and the burning of three journalists in the Dinakaran office in the heir fight will repeat their history if they come to power again.

5. Provoking law students to riot in front of police, police and lawyer protests inside the Madras High Court in 2009, and destroying the Checkers Hotel on Anna Road in Chennai are just a few of the DMK’s atrocities that brought Tamil Nadu to its knees. Furthermore, there was a 14-16 hour power outage, which totally demoralised the Tamil Nadu industrial environment. All these will definitely occur in the future if the DMK comes to power because such is their poor style of governance.

Having showcased such a regime from 2006 to 2011, how can the DMK give good governance if they win now? Furthermore, how can Stalin, who claims to be Karunanidhi’s son, provide good governance which is free of Karunanidhi’s traces? These are questions that the DMK should definitely answer.

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