1- Will Vijay’s ‘Dalit + Brahmin’ strategy change the politics of Tamil Nadu? 2- What message does Vijay want to give by giving place to Brahmin ministers in TVK cabinet? 3- Will TVK make a dent in DMK’s vote bank by adopting Mayawati model?
Chennai: A new move by actor Vijay is being seen in Tamil Nadu politics. His party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) has not only given importance to Dalits in its cabinet, but has also tried to include upper caste Hindus. Giving place to Brahmin ministers in the cabinet is similar to the strategy adopted by Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh.
When Vijay’s entire cabinet was formed, eight Dalit ministers were included in it. This historical representation given to Dalits is not only being praised, but the place given to the Brahmin community is also being discussed. For the first time since 1952, two ministers have been made from the Brahmin community, which constitutes less than 3% of the state’s population. One of them is Mylapore MLA and TVK treasurer P. Venkataramanan, who took oath along with Vijay. The other one is the party’s dynamic leader and 31 year old Srirangam MLA Ramesh, who was made the minister of Devaswom department in the second phase. This step of Vijay is also special because parties like DMK, AIADMK and BJP have been hesitant in fielding Brahmin candidates.
The move is being seen as a ‘Dravidian version’ of the strategy of Mayawati, who formed the government in UP by securing the support of Brahmins along with consolidating the Dalit vote bank. At the same time, DMK leaders have already accepted that M.K. One reason for Stalin’s defeat was the loss of Dalit and Christian votes. Now with the arrival of two ministers from the Muslim community in the cabinet, TVK hopes to make an even deeper dent in the DMK’s minority vote bank.