Populist rhetoric and Dravidian parties: a study of political communication

Purpose This paper explores the relationship between populist rhetoric and political communication within the context of Dravidian politics in Indian politics. Populist rhetoric has been a strategic tool used by both national and regional party leaders, but here, we are specifying regional parties’ usage, particularly the Dravidian Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), to articulate issues of socio-economic inequality, equality in caste status, and linguistic and cultural Tamil identity? These include Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (ANNA), Muthuvel Karunanidhi (Kalaignar), Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (MGR), and Jayaram Jayalalithaa (JJ & AMMA). They were key figures in the construction of these narratives, and Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin (Thalapathy) utilized their iconic status to cultivate an emotional attachment with the masses and grassroots support. Kalaignar is given special attention because his literary prowess, his theatrical skills and his rhetoric policy were of great use to reinforce the Dravidian ideals and consolidate his political legacy. It analyses the election manifestos, political speeches and public perceptions to understand recurring populist themes in the form of anti-elitism, welfare-oriented policies and identity-driven politics. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study incorporates document analysis, field surveys, semi-structured interviews and historical comparisons to trace the evolution of populist narratives within Dravidian politics. The findings indicate the dual nature of populist rhetoric, both mobilizing an apparatus for inclusive governance and potentially turning out to be the harbinger of societal polarization. Situating this with regional and global political contexts is exactly what this study will be adding to the debate on the dynamic interplay between identity, governance and democratic participation in Tamil Nadu and Indian politics. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a mixed-method design is used to analysis the nexus between political party identification, welfare policies and electoral behavior in Tamil Nadu. Virudhunagar district has been chosen due to its high literacy rate, HDI (2017) ranking and prevalence of strong Dravidian parties (Dravidian Munnetra Kazhagam & AIADMK). The research uses quantitative surveys (210 people: 121 rural, 89 urban) and qualitative interviews. Stratified random sampling was used so that representation cut across income levels, grounded communities, gender and party platforms. Findings The findings indicate the dual nature of populism – both mobilizing an apparatus for inclusive governance and potentially turning out to be the harbinger of societal polarizations. Originality/value Situating this with regional and global political contexts is exactly what this study will be adding to the debate on dynamic interplay between identity, governance and democratic participation in Tamil Nadu, India.