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DMK president M.K. Stalin, portion commenting precocious connected the triumph of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) successful the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, has called it a “new and charismatic tsunami of illusion.” He besides made it wide that by utilizing the word “tsunami,” helium did not it successful the affirmative sense. “I lone mean that it has caused large harm oregon damaged the interests of Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Stalin clarified.
Though his reflection has not attracted wide nationalist attention, it has not gone unnoticed among perceptive observers of Tamil Nadu politics, arsenic respective governmental personalities including serving Chief Ministers, portion experiencing electoral reverses, reacted successful antithetic ways.
The astir oft-quoted absorption was that of M. Bhaktavatsalam: “I spot a microorganism has dispersed each implicit Tamil Nad[u]. I commune God whitethorn prevention the people.” He made this remark successful the aftermath of the 1967 Assembly elections wherein the ruling Congress mislaid powerfulness to the 18-year-old DMK. It was not that helium made the connection retired of immoderate consciousness of bitterness. He did connection felicitations to the winners. Though helium clarified aboriginal that his usage of the word “virus” was, according to The Hindu of February 28, applicable to the shortcomings successful ‘our ain organisation and organisational approach,” the erstwhile Chief Minister’s statement has been viewed by followers of the Dravida Kazhagam and the DMK arsenic an “uncharitable remark.”
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Ten years later, it was the crook of the DMK, which was astatine the receiving end. Even though the enactment was removed from powerfulness successful January 1976 done the imposition of President’s regularisation and the dissolution of the Assembly, its person M. Karunanidhi had made a valiant effort to get backmost to powerfulness and the enactment went it unsocial successful the Assembly predetermination successful June 1977. When the results were out, the AIADMK won hands down, by bagging 130 seats. It had a tie-up with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Forward Bloc, whereas the DMK secured 48 seats. Assuring the radical that the DMK would relation arsenic a liable Opposition, helium expressed “satisfaction” implicit his party’s show successful presumption of “difficulties” it had faced successful the past 18 months.
Three years later, erstwhile the State went to the Assembly polls again aft the dismissal of the AIADMK authorities successful February, the instrumentality of the DMK (along with the Congress) to powerfulness was wide anticipated. But, it was the AIADMK that came backmost to power. Karunanidhi attributed the occurrence of his arch rival to 3 electoral promises – the proviso of a rupee a time to each the unemployed, escaped proviso of 1 kilo of atom to each the mediocre and waiver of each the loans taken by agriculturists. He added that 1 should beryllium disheartened by the results arsenic occurrence and decision were not uncommon successful politics, according to The Hindu on June 3, 1980.
Then came 1 much upset for Karunanidhi during the 1984 simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Assembly. The DMK, which headed a conjugation comprising the Janata party, Indian Union Muslim League and 2 Left parties, won 24 seats individually with its allies cornering 10 much seats. This decision was overmuch much crushing than the erstwhile two. At that time, Karunanidhi wrote, arsenic quoted by diplomat-turned-political writer R. Kannan, successful his “The DMK Years”: “some votes decided Socrates’s destiny by condemning him to death, but clip had made the Greek philosopher immortal. The quality betwixt the 2 fronts was lone 31 lakh, helium said, adding that if 16 lakh had chosen to ballot the different way, the results would person been different.” The author, however, adds: “But, this was a counterfactual.”
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In June 1991, erstwhile the DMK faced a drubbing successful the Assembly election, Karunanidhi, who was ousted from powerfulness arsenic Chief Minister 5 months earlier, connection was captured by this paper connected June 23, 1991 arsenic follows: although false propaganda and the sympathy question relegated the existent issues to the inheritance successful the conscionable concluded elections, helium considered his party’s decision [as] his ain and hence, helium was resigning the Harbour Assembly seat.”
Five years later, it was the crook of Jayalalithaa, who suffered a monolithic setback, arsenic she herself had mislaid successful the Bargur assembly constituency and her enactment had obtained lone 4 seats. Accepting the verdict “with each humility,” she, portion thanking those who had voted for her. said her enactment would proceed to enactment for the payment of the people. The AIADMK firmly believed successful the doctrine, vox populi vox dei (the dependable of the radical is the dependable of God), The Hindu quoted her, successful a study connected May 11, 1996.
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At that time, immoderate newspapers had carried reports that Jayalalithaa would permission Tamil Nadu for good. Responding to the reports, she stated that “as a idiosyncratic progressive successful nationalist life, I volition proceed to enactment successful Tamil Nadu and render work to the people. There is nary request for maine to spell retired of the State.”
In 2001, erstwhile Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK made a spectacular comeback, the outgoing Chief Minister Karunanidhi said determination was “no ideological issue” progressive and that Jayalalitha, [who did not contention successful the canvass connected relationship of her ineligibility for having been convicted successful 2 cases of corruption], had exploited to the hilt the rejection of her information papers, this regular reported connected May 14, 2001.
Five years later, erstwhile her enactment mislaid power, Jayalalithaa said her organisation, with 61 seats successful the Assembly, would relation arsenic “a beardown Opposition party.” In 2011, erstwhile the DMK mislaid powerfulness and was relegated to the 3rd presumption successful the Assembly with 23 seats successful the Assembly, the outgoing Chief Minister Karunanidhi said “people person fixed maine bully rest; my greetings.” Ten years later, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, portion demitting office, conveyed his champion wishes to his successor, Mr Stalin, who has conscionable been succeeded by C. Joseph Vijay.
