The tides have changed and hence the times are also changing. The political landscape in Tamil Nadu witnessed a significant, if not a noteworthy and an astounding development in recent times, after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) emerged victorious in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. And, with that also spawned a new era for the DMK to come back as the governing juggernaut, which it has always been. This colossal triumph of the DMK reminds one and all of its stupendous heritage and gargantuan hold over the people. It is a well-known fact that the Dravidian Movement, once spearheaded by Periyar, Anna and Karunanidhi, is now being steered by MK Stalin.
The DMK's road to success in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, 2021 and subsequently the manner in which Stalin was catapulted to the post of Chief Minister of the State were expected by many political pundits for a while. Among those who predicted DMK and Stalin coming to power was Sanjay Pinto, advocate practising at the Madras High Court, also a columnist, author, public speaking mentor and a former resident editor on NDTV - 24x7. Mr. Pinto first made his observation of Stalin spearheading the DMK's win in 2019 itself in an article written for Ritz Magazine, in which he pointed out, through several analytical factors, the political statesman's ascension. Mr. Pinto, in his think piece for Ritz, had studied the background of Stalin's political strategies, which had a strong imprint over four decades, when he served as the Deputy General Secretary of the party, while also getting elevated to the post of the Working President when his late father and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi turned inactive.
Having interacted with Stalin from his Law College years when the former was the Mayor of Chennai and later having covered the DMK and Stalin for a decade and a half on the NDTV 24x7 network, Sanjay Pinto has had his ear to the ground.
Mr. Pinto pointed out that Stalin had earned a following unopposed at all three levels - the party, administration and legislature - with many acknowledging him to be Karunanidhi’s successor in the future, including the media, that had hailed him to be the 'eternal prince-in-waiting'.