 Summary of this article
- Women emerged as decisive voters in this election and key voices in Tamil Nadu’s future.
- Their trust reflected a long reform legacy from Periyar E. V. Ramasamy to M. K. Stalin.
- The election became a contest between Dravidian values and a centralised vision of Tamil Nadu.
I have been travelling across southern Tamil Nadu this election season, through the fertile stretches of the delta, the temple towns, and the bustling neighbourhoods of my own constituency in South Chennai. In these journeys, across rallies and quiet conversations that stretch late into the evening, one sentiment has repeated itself with remarkable clarity. This election, more than any in recent memory, has been an election for women. Across alliances, women have been spoken to, invoked, promised, and addressed.
Both ruling and opposition formations recognised that women stand at the centre of Tamil Nadu’s electoral strength. Yet, as weeks passed, it became evident that while both sides raised women’s issues, only one spoke from history, continuity, and lived governance. For the other, the language of women often appeared sudden and disconnected from legacy.
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