Stalin has now proved to be the undisputed leader of DMK, despite simmering differences among his sibblings in particular and his makeover during the elections has helped him to take full control of the party to take over from his 93-year old father M Karunanidhi, the grand old man of regional politics and perhaps the only surviving among founders of the Dravidian movement.

The 2016 May 16 assembly election rusults announced on May 19 do not fully reflect the achievements of DMK, which was toally out after the 2011 elections. It almost made it to capture power but for the split of anti-incumbency votes against Jayalalithaa, particularly after the Chennai and Northern coastal Tamil Nadu floods at the turn of the New Year. Corruption was an issue in the elections but there is very little to talk about it as both DMK and AIADMK have institutionalised corruption during the nearly 50 years of uninterrupted Dravidian rule in the State. The people have accepted it as Tamil Nadu is still among the few well administered state in the country.

The response of state government to the Chennai floods might have been slow but the administration did well subsequently to provide speedy and adequate relief to the flood victims and that made the people forget the grouse against Amma and vote her back to power as they perceived her as better of the two Dravidian parties. The DMK is the first regional party to capture power in any state in the country and this happened way back in 1967 and since then no national party has been able to capture power in the state.

One major negative factor against DMK is the dominance of Karunanidhi family. The dynastic rule has made the cadre unhappy as well as senior leaders of the party, who have been increasingly marginalised with the rise of Stalin, who has brought his own men at key positions to take control of the party fully. Though his elder brother Azhagiri might not have openly revolted against Stalin in this elections, but there are reports to suggest that he did not put his heart into the party campaign. Azhagiri wields huge influence among the party cadres in the southern districts of the state. Stalin's half sister Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament too worked hard for the party's victory but the body language clearly indicated that she is not fully happy with Stalin being undisputed leader of the party after Karunanidhi.

The DMK-Congress combine won 98 seats as against 134 of AIADMK, which fought the elections without any major alliance in the assembly elections. Despite spirited campaign by Stalin in all the 234 assembly constituencies, the DMK-Congress combine could not take full advantage of the dissatisfaction against the Jayalalithaa regime because DMK was caught up in organisational turmoil as well over the extent to which it would allow the party's heir apparent Stalin to run the party affairs. This is indicated by the fact that DMK patriarch Karunanidhi made it clear before the elections that he himself was the chief ministerial candidate. If DMK won, he would have been the oldest Chief Minister in the country at 93.

Also the Congress in fact became millstone around the neck of the DMK as the message went around was that it was having an alliance with one of the most corrupt party in the country that is on the decline throughout the country. It is also a party that promoted dynastic rule. Congress is also seen as a party that was responsible for large scale killing of Sri Lankan Tamils during the last phase of civil war in the Island republic.

DMK has accused Jayalalithaa of using money power to ensure that AIADMK returned to power. But the same accusation holds true of DMK as well. DMK is no less corrupt and no less notorious in using money as well as muscle power in the elections.

But one thing that this election has ensured is that all splinter groups of DMK, AIADMK, Congress and new Dravidian parties like MDMK and PMK have been totally wiped out. It has also restored the supremacy of the two Dravidian parties in the Tamil Nadu politics. Congress, which has never wielded power after it lost in 1967, has got increasingly marginalised. From over 40 per cent of vote share in pre-1967 era when it dominated Tamil Nadu politics, it has gradually come down to less than 5 per cent over the last 50 years. In every assembly elections, its vote share has declined.

BJP, which contested alone without any major alliance, has however made some inroads in voteshare though it might not be significant by way of number of seats. It is likely to become a player in 2019 Lok Sabha elections considering its equations with Jayalalithaa. But the two Dravidian parties will continue to play dominant role in the state for sometime to come having at least 30 per cent of vote share each even during the worst years.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, The DMK as it is called is an offshoot of justice movement in Tamil Nadu. 'Dravidian Progress Federation' as it means was founded by late C N Annadurai in 1949 as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam (known as Justice Party until 1944) headed by Periyar (E V Ramaswamy Naicker). Annadurai, who became first non Congress Chief Minister of the state died two years later and the mantle fell on Muthuvel Karunanidhi in 1969.

The patriarch of Tamil Nadu politics, Karunanidhi, who served as Chief Minister 5 times since then is a fighter and it is to be seen how his son performs in the coming years to restore the glory of DMK in Tamil Nadu politics. But this election results show that Stalin is still not fully equipped to take on Jayalalithaa. But Stalin has clearly emerged as a regional leader in the country's politics. (IPA Service)