IJSP is an International, Peer Reviewed/ Refereed, Indexed, Open Access, Online Journal of Arts and Social Sciences. Call for Paper: Vol 12 (02): 2025, Publication date: 31 July 2025 (Online), 15 August 2025 (Print), Last date of Submission : 15 June 2025

A Political Instrument: Dravidian Parties Communication Strategies in Tamil Nadu Election

Thiruppathi P

Affiliations:

Research Scholar, Centre for Political Institutions, Governance and Development (CPIGD), ISEC- Bengaluru, Karnataka, INDIA

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The study delves into the complicated interplay between caste identities, political representation, and electoral processes within Dravidian political organizations. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) employ caste as a potent political instrument to address disadvantaged communities' challenges. The study uses empirical data and field surveys to investigate voting trends, candidate choices, and electoral violence in the Chidambaram Parliamentary Constituency during the 2019 election. It clarifies how caste influences voting habits and political outcomes. The study advances our understanding of how socially excluded people perceive and vote, as well as the ways in which Dravidian parties employ caste relations to their benefit in political discourse.

Keywords:
Caste, DMK, AIADMK, Voting behaviour, Representation

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