Naam Tamilar Katchi
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A backgrounder
As in 2024 June
Arun Janardhanan, June 7, 2024: The Indian Express
With more than one lakh votes in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu, a third-place finish in six – ahead of not just the BJP and but also the AIADMK at places – and nearly tripling of its vote share from 3.8% in 2019 to 8.2%, the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) has ensured a place for itself as a formidable player in state politics.
The NTK’s slow-but-steady rise – a wake-up call to other political players in the state – is rooted in a message of Tamil nationalism and driven almost single-handedly by the charisma of its leader Seeman. A film director-turned-politician who has shunned any alliance, Seeman is known for his fiery speeches around the idea of an “essential Tamil identity”.
The 12 constituencies in which the NTK secured over 1 lakh votes included Sivagangai, where its candidate got 1.63 lakh votes. The six seats in which it finished third were Kanyakumari, Erode, Kallakurichi, Nagapattinam, Tiruchirappalli and the Puducherry Union Territory constituency. While the INDIA bloc won all six, the BJP was second-placed in two and the AIADMK in four others.
The NTK put up its best performance in central Tamil Nadu. In Tiruchirappalli, its vote share touched 10.18%, pushing the NDA to the fourth spot. It got 13.49% of the votes in Nagapattinam, 11.73% in Mayiladuthurai and 10.02% in Perambalur, which is one of the most backward districts in the state.
A close associate of Seeman admitted they were actually expecting a dip, as the BJP’s aggressive campaign in the state took the headlines. The prevailing mood was that the DMK was certain to win in the state, and the BJP at the Centre. “Although we are relevant in state politics, no one expected people to vote for us in Lok Sabha polls. But Seeman proved them wrong, despite the NTK contesting under a new poll symbol this time, the mic,” the party insider said.
Born right after the end of Sri Lanka’s bloody war against the LTTE in 2009, when Tamil sentiments were at their peak, the NTK’s message – particularly talking of Lankan Tamil “victimhood” – has always resonated with a section of the voters in the state, particularly Tamil youths.
His credibility has often been challenged by rivals, while critics accuse him of cynically “exploiting” Tamil sentiments, and of using the Tamil diaspora for political funding. However, the NTK has held on, without the trappings of any star campaigners besides Seeman, and much money power or media space.
Incidentally, at the start, when he had close associations first with the late DMK chief M Karunanidhi and then with late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, Seeman still talked of atheism and propagated Periyar rationalism. However, the shift to total Tamil nationalism and ethnic identity, with a call to “a return to cultural roots”, has been total from around 2014. He has also emerged as a fierce critic of the R S S and Hindutva in the process, given its idea of an overarching uniform Hindu identity.
Since then, the fact that Seeman has avoided any alliances has paid off, helping the NTK project itself as the sole representative of Tamil aspirations, not restrained by interests of any regional or national partners.
The other conscious move by the NTK chief has been to set aside 50% of party tickets for women, and ensure equal representation for all communities, be it Dalits, Muslims or Brahmins.
