100 Constituencies In 34 Days: AIADMK's Big Gamble Against DMK
AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Tuesday reached Arcot, his 100th constituency in just 34 days, scripting what his party calls a "super century" in the Ezhuchi Payanam (Rising Journey). The yatra, launched on July 7, is being seen as one of Tamil Nadu's most ambitious opposition campaigns in recent years, both in terms of scale and intensity.
Tamil Nadu goes to the polls next year, and while EPS is challenging the DMK, he also faces the challenge of a new entrant, actor Vijay's TVK.
EPS has clocked over 10,000 km in his specially designed bus, spending nearly 14 hours daily on the road and holding more than 150 small and large consultations with farmers, traders, weavers, fishermen and women's groups. By the party's count, he has directly connected with 52 lakh people. His rallies have attracted large, vocal crowds - many waiting late into the night in rain and heat - signalling a resonance that AIADMK leaders believe could shift the state's political momentum.
Party sources said the Ezhuchi Payanam has been built around three clear pillars: a recall of AIADMK's welfare legacy under Jayalalithaa - from Amma Canteens and loan waivers to Pongal cash gifts and crop insurance; a renewed promise to restore popular schemes like the Rs 2,500 Pongal gift and free sarees and dhotis; and sharp attacks on the DMK's record, from rising prices and electricity tariffs to NEET exemption delays, law and order, and the spread of drugs.
EPS has also kept dynastic politics at the centre of his messaging, contrasting what he calls AIADMK's "people's power" with DMK's "family rule."
The political takeaways are significant. For one, EPS has managed to consolidate his position as the undisputed leader of the AIADMK after years of internal strife. His ability to sustain such a high-energy campaign - 100 constituencies in barely a month - has boosted cadre morale and stalled narratives of organisational drift. Second, defections from rival parties into AIADMK during the yatra point to his success in creating a perception of momentum. Finally, the campaign has forced the DMK to respond; while Chief Minister Stalin remains focused on governance and welfare rollouts, EPS has sought to occupy the ground with relentless messaging and symbolism, even deploying viral campaign songs like the "Bye Bye Stalin" chorus.
With another 134 constituencies to go, the question now is whether EPS can sustain the same intensity and convert crowd enthusiasm into a statewide wave. For AIADMK, the yatra is more than a show of strength - it is the party's attempt to rebuild its mass connect, recapture Jayalalithaa's welfare legacy, and challenge the DMK on the very terrain of people's emotions and aspirations.
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