New Delhi: As Tamil Nadu Assembly elections approach, political activities have intensified in the state, with key alliances strengthening and parties recalibrating strategies based on past performance and evolving voter dynamics. However, the contest is once again expected to center around the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA front. BJP Trying to expand its footprint. AIADMK The party on Monday finalized seat-sharing with its key allies, allocating 27 seats to the BJP, 18 seats to the PMK faction led by its president Anbumani Ramadoss and 11 seats to the TTV Dhinakaran-led AMMK, completing talks between key constituents of the opposition front for the assembly elections.Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections (DMK) led coalition won a decisive victory, winning 159 out of 234 seats, returning to power after a decade. The DMK itself won 133 seats with about 36.8% vote share. Its major ally, the Indian National Congress (INC), won 18 seats with about 4.4% vote share.On the other hand, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led alliance managed 75 seats, with the AIADMK winning 66 seats and securing around 33.3% vote share. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contesting the elections as part of the AIADMK alliance, won 4 seats with about 2.6% vote share.Smaller players also played a role in shaping the outcome. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) won 5 seats, while Viduthalai Chiruthigal Katchi (VCK), aligned with the DMK, won 4 seats. Left parties, including the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), won 2 seats each, contributing to the DMK-led block’s total.The vote share split highlighted a bipolar contest, with the DMK-led alliance collectively polling around 45%, while the AIADMK-led front secured around 39%, indicating a relatively consolidated anti-incumbency vote against the then AIADMK government.As the state enters the next election cycle, alliances have once again become unstable. The DMK is expected to maintain its core alliance with the Congress, Left parties and VCK on the basis of welfare schemes and governance record. Meanwhile, the AIADMK is dealing with internal challenges and alliance uncertainties, especially after the rift in its ties with the BJP.The BJP, despite its modest vote share, is attempting to emerge as a more influential player by contesting more seats this time, aiming to convert its growing vote advantage into seats.At stake in the upcoming election is not only power in one of India’s most politically divided states, but also the future of Dravidian politics, which has historically resisted the dominance of the national party. While the DMK will try to protect its mandate, the AIADMK will face the challenge of rebuilding leadership unity, and the BJP will test whether its expansion strategy can disrupt Tamil Nadu’s strong political binary.