Fight with BJP ideological, says DMK party leader

Looks like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun unleashing its brand of political warfare from the limited arsenal it has at present in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. (See: https://www.thehansindia.com/tamilnadu/tamil-nadu-is-bjp-applying-jayalalithaa-formula-to-punch-dmk-637832 for more details). As of now, it has an accommodating, even pliable government in its side in the form of Palanisamy led AIADMK government, which has not crossed swords visibly with the Delhi darbar.

Coming to the other key political formation led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the present chief M K Stalin is an experienced hand but lacks the firepower to ignite the cadre, which is unsure of its political future and ability to capture power in the forthcoming 2021 elections.

In this milieu, with the Kanimozhi controversy (about being asked whether she is an Indian when she couldn't understand the Hindi language of a CISF official at Chennai airport) still smouldering and the rational party suspending its sitting MLA K K Selvam from a prominent Chennai constituency – Thousand Lights – for having hobnobbed with the BJP bigwigs at Delhi, the rivals appear to be slowly drawing their battle plans.

While Kanimozhi asserts that it is an 'insult' of her Indianness to be measured on the basis of her Hindi language proficiency, her party spokesperson, T K S Elangovan has remarked that the fight with BJP is ideological. He dismisses the saffron party as no competition. The DMK leader seems super confident about his party's mighty cadre, which has been dedicated and stayed rooted to the cause over seven decades. Yet, the rival too is a formidable one which has a supporter base, expanding continuously. The wait-and-watch approach would be the best as of now.