Tamil Nadu witnesses DMK's resurgence, an embattled AIADMK

Chennai: The DMK storming back to power after a decade in opposition and the scary spectacle of countless ambulances waiting before hospitals that grappled with oxygen shortage and absence of space for the newly infected during the Covid-19 second wave turned out to be the defining moments for Tamil Nadu in 2021.

The AIADMK, though electorally battered, emerged as the principal opposition party with 66 MLAs and along with its allies won a total of 75 seats out of the 234 in the Assembly election held in April.

For the main opposition, the year that would soon pass by also has been a period of challenge, as a number of its leaders were slapped with cases by the vigilance wing which the party dubbed as political vendetta.

DMK returns after a decade

After a gap of 10 years, the DMK snatched the reins of power from arch-rival AIADMK, with its president M K Stalin leading the party to a stellar performance and in the process, helming the state as Chief Minister for the first time. The DMK's 133 nominees won and together with partners including the Congress, grabbed the lion's share of 159 seats.

Since 2019, the DMK has been journeying on a path of resurgence bagging 38 out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats that year and winning the lone Theni Parliamentary seat was too little to offer solace for the AIADMK.

The DMK continued its winning streak, with its big win in 2021 rural civic polls in 9 reconstituted districts, a sequel to it establishing a clear edge over the AIADMK in 2019 December rural polls.

The ruling party is gearing up to sustain the momentum in the urban local body polls expected to be held next year. Taking a firm step, superstar Rajinikanth disbanded his 'Rajini Makkal Mandram,' (Rajini People's Forum) launched to facilitate his political entry and strongly reiterated that he would not enter politics.

Monsoon mayhem

Rain gods were more than kind to Tamil Nadu as the state received a bounty during the monsoon, leading to brimming reservoirs and lakes while Chennai received one of its most intense spells of rains in 200 years, crossing the 100 cm mark in November, the fourth time in two centuries. Two years ago, the city's drought-like situation had even garnered international attention.

The state witnessed torrential downpour during the northeast monsoon, with heavy rains lashing various parts of the state during November, with authorities resorting to repeated releasing of excess water, including from reservoirs that feed the capital city, besides the famous Mettur dam in Salem.

On November 27, Stalin said that in the past 200 years, "this is the fourth time Chennai recorded 1,000 MM (100 CM) rainfall in a single month." He quoted experts.

Pandemic politics

The Covid-19 second wave turned out to be first biggest challenge for the DMK government when it assumed power in May and cases peaked during the corresponding period with over 36,000 plus fresh cases on 21st of that month.

The new regime strained every nerve to tackle the pandemic that assumed alarming proportions in view of shortage of oxygen and the anti-viral Remdesivir and to top it all, there were no vacant beds in hospitals to treat the newly infected.

The result was something never seen before with innumerable ambulances lining up before hospitals to admit patients as the kin of the infected stood in queues for days together to get the anti-viral, that proved to be life saving for many.

The new government enforced lockdowns, focused on better vaccination coverage and gradually fresh cases too began declining towards the end of May and from June, restrictions were eased in a phased manner.

Marking initiation of fulfilment of its poll promises, the DMK government after assuming power distributed Rs 4,000 covid-19 assistance to beneficiaries, made travel fare-free for women in town buses and days ago Stalin said his government has fulfilled '300 plus' pre-poll assurances out of the over 500 promises.

AIADMK attack

All along, the AIADMK, which faced criticism for being a meek opposition party, began to train guns on the DMK regime with a state-wide protest demanding the ruling party to fulfil its poll assurances. As if the poll debacles were not enough, the AIADMK faced challenge from V K Sasikala, the former aide of late chief minister and party supremo, J Jayalalithaa, who returned to Tamil Nadu in February after serving a four year sentence in a Bengaluru prison in a disproportionate assets case.

Sasikala factor

Initially signalling that she would stay away from politics, she began making definitive moves to gain control of the AIADMK leadership and has designated herself as general secretary, the top post till the Jaya era. A case filed by Sasikala in a city court challenging the 2017 decisions of the general council including one that eased her out from the party is pending and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran, heading a separate outfit is working in tandem with her.

EPS-OPS combo effective

The AIADMK, though quietly amended bylaws empowering cadres again to elect the leadership and unanimously elected O Panneerselvam (OPS) and 'Edappadi' K Palaniswami (EPS) as top leaders, even as hints thrown by OPS to suggest willingness to accommodate Sasikala back into the party have been cold-shouldered by the dominant EPS camp.

Govt counterattack

After the DMK came to power, cases of disproportionate assets were filed against former AIADMK Ministers C Vijayabaskar, K C Veeramani, M R Vijayabaskar and P Thangamani and a Salem based functionary, R Elangovan considered to be close to former chief minister Palaniswami.

Another former Minister S P Velumani faces a case of corruption. The AIADMK has condemned all such cases as nothing but political vendetta.

With the police initating probe again into the 2017 Kodanadu estate murder and heist case, AIADMK co-coordinator and leader of opposition, Palaniswami made a dramtic allegation that the DMK government was attempting to get him and a few of his party men framed in the sensational case.

Since the estate in the Nilgiris District was used on and off by Jayalalithaa as her camp office-cum-residence, it gained popularity and importance.

The police also reopened the road accident case of Kanagaraj, Jayalalithaa's car driver who died days after the April 2017 heist at the Kodanadu estate.

Cine stars fade away, some forever

Vivek, a popular Tamil comedian passed away in April and actor-politician Kamal Haasan recovered from mild Covid-19 following hospitalisation.

Rajinikanth underwent a procedure to restore blood supply to the brain in October and the box office performance of his action flick 'Annaatthe' (Deepavali release) is still a matter of debate among fans, according to an entertainment industry tracker.

For the common man, who is looking forward to 2022 for a complete return to pre-COVID times, the Omicron variant is a cause of real concern.