Dalits to Nadars, the five caste groups driving Tamil Nadu polls

As Tamil Nadu heads for elections in three days, the political battlefield has many small caste-based parties and a BJP determined to make inroads. Perceived as a Brahmin-upper caste party earlier, the BJP is trying to shed the image with outreach to influential OBC groups, and has tied up with several caste-based parties. The ruling DMK, which has a broad-based coalition across caste groups, also has formed alliances with these smaller parties.

The five groups which will play a crucial goal on as the DMK-led alliance seeks for a repeat of its 39 Lok Sabha seats out of 40 performance of 2019, and the BJP tries to break in:

In the absence of a caste census, official sources put the number of Dalits in Tamil Nadu, including s at around 19% to 21% of the state’s population. They are spread across the state, with their population higher in districts such as Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruvallur, and Madurai.

The larger Dravidian political movement, evolving over the last two centuries, of whose products are the Dravida Kazhagam, DMK and AIADMK, has always reached out to Dalits.

Immanuel Sekaran, a freedom fighter from Ramanathapuram, is considered one of the Dalit icons in the state’s modern political history and his death anniversary is observed as a major event in the community. MP Thol Thirumavalavan, the founder of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which has been one of the closest DMK allies, advocates for Dalit rights and represents the voice of Tamil Dalits at the national level.

Vanniyars, who are from northern Tamil Nadu, are one of the largest and most politically-active Most Backward Classes (MBCs) in the state. OBCs are separated into BC and MBC groups in the state. Vanniyars are a largely agrarian community and have