Tamil Nadu offers an interesting paradox. While its political roots lie in the anti-caste Dravidian movement led by Periyar, who advocated for social justice and reservations, its electoral politics still heavily lean on caste-based calculations.
Major parties like DMK and AIADMK often put forward candidates from dominant local communities in each constituency. With about 70% of the population falling under the OBC category, sub-caste identities continue to play a big role in picking candidates and driving booth-level mobilisation.
Tamil Nadu’s four main political regions —
- Kongu Nadu (Western Tamil Nadu) - Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur
- Cauvery Delta - Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Tiruchirappalli
- Northern belt (Tondaimandalam) - Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Viluppuram, and Cuddalore
- Southern districts (Pandya Nadu) - Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi
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| Source: Jaishink |
Each of these regions have unique caste compositions that influence election results.
For decades, Tamil Nadu elections have been viewed through the lens of four major caste blocs.
- Gounders (West): Historically aligned with AIADMK
- Thevars/Mukkulathors comprising the Kallar, Maravar, and Agamudayar sub-sects (South): AIADMK’s traditional base
- Vanniyars (North): Mobilised by PMK, often alliance-dependent
- Dalits (statewide presence): Influential in reserved seats, often backing DMK-led alliances
According to R. Kannan, a former UN diplomat and now a political writer, the emphasis on social justice has ironically reinforced the idea of caste. Electoral politics is the route to real power.
In 1989, when M. Karunanidhi was Chief Minister, he introduced a 20 percent reservation for Most Backward Classes (MBCs) by carving it out of the existing 50 percent quota for Backward Classes (BCs). The MBC list included 115 other castes and denotified communities, with the Vanniyars being the most dominant group among them.
After Anbumani Ramadoss formed the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), it began advocating for the social justice of the Vanniyar community, claiming that the 20 percent quota did not benefit its people since others in the MBC list took away the advantages.
AIADMK was considered a “party of Mukkulathors” because of the proximity of V.K. Sasikala to former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who was the party’s general secretary during 1988-2016. But, in the 2026 election, Ms. Sasikala, now heading the All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AIPTMMK), and the Dravidian major’s former coordinator O. Panneerselvam, now in the DMK — both Mukkulathors — are vigorously campaigning against the AIADMK’s general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, a Kongu Vellalar.
The 234-member Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will go to polls in a single phase on April 23, with the contest set between the INDIA bloc and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The INDIA bloc comprises the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Congress, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and other smaller parties.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), and other smaller parties.
Micro-communities are expected to influence the state's seats.