Smaller political parties brace up for 2021 Tamil Nadu polls

Smaller political outfits, many of them derisively termed 'letter head' parties by their opponents, have constantly sprung across Tamil Nadu in the past two decades and more. In the late 1990s, a splinter group from Congress called itself a political party by name Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) and it had the veteran leader G K Moopanar, P Chidambaram etc before the latter returned to the mother party.

In the new millennium, cinema stars like Vijayakanth and Sarath Kumar, whose filmi innings were on their last laps, began floating political parties and have kept it barely floating. This is despite a genuine wave of support favouring the former, a typical MGR fan, who was expected to bring a difference in the murky status of politics in TN.

While Vijayakanth's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam will complete 15 years in September, actor Sarath Kumar's All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi completed 13 years on Monday with its chief wishing the supporters all the best. Both the parties have begun their dalliances with the bigger parties for pre-poll alliances, while G K Vasan of TMC, who is considered close to the BJP has asserted that the party will find representation in the State Assembly after the 2021 polls.