One of the oldest regional parties, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), had shed its separatist platform in 1962. Kamal may be making history if, over a period, he is able to tie southern India into a loose Dravidian bonding, challenging the north. Many regional parties are breakaways of the Congress that ruled for six of the seven decades since independence. Representing caste, regional, linguistic and/or cultural aspirations of large sections of people, the regional parties naturally seek power at the provincial level. When both national parties failed to muster parliamentary majority in the past, regional parties gained dominant role.

Source: New Strait Times March 31, 2018 03:33 UTC