Every party seems convinced that TVK won because of Instagram Reels and that the next election will be won on Instagram. We did some basic research on the follower counts of the official party handles. The DMK, despite being in power, is only No. 4 on the list. The AIADMK's presence on the platform is abysmal. Several other parties are lagging as well. The BJP and Congress have done a fairly good job. Annamalai's team is slowly catching up. But the larger question remains: what's the point of dreaming about defeating TVK if you haven't even taken the baby steps required to give them a close run on the very platform everyone claims is shaping political opinion? If Instagram is truly the battlefield, many parties haven't even reported for duty yet.

When everyone gives up on you, that's often the best time for a turnaround. The AIADMK and EPS are facing such a moment. A rebellion that seemed to have been largely contained has resurfaced, and a series of resignations has begun. Diehard AIADMK supporters are beginning to wonder whether the party is headed towards doomsday. Yet, EPS has a significant opportunity before him. He can surprise everyone by choosing the path of a unifier. He should bring back TTV Dhinakaran, Sasikala, OPS, and anyone else willing to strengthen the Two Leaves movement. After that, he must focus on two priorities: urbanising and youngifying the party. AIADMK has weakened considerably in urban centres. Even Coimbatore, once a stronghold, has slipped away. The party needs an infusion of fresh blood. Leaders and cadres who are making a beeline for the DMK must be given compelling reasons to stay. More importantly, Gen Z and Gen Alpha have no lived memory of MGR or Jayalalithaa. The party cannot rely solely on nostalgia. It needs new ideas, new narratives, and a new generation of leaders who can connect with younger voters. There is much that can be done to reinvent the AIADMK. But every transformation begins with one thing: an open mind. Is EPS ready for that?

We've all seen that speech in which an Annamalai supporter pours bile on the BJP. Let it be. Let them reboot their ideology. Let them view Hindutva as baggage. Let them become another Dravidian party to "fit in." Mr. Annamalai is going to discover that forging an independent political identity is not as easy as he thinks. Tamil Nadu is a highly polarized state. We already have over 300 registered political parties. Formulating a unique political recipe that stands out will take some doing. The fire-and-brimstone version of Annamalai is unlikely to work. To succeed, he will have to win friends across the aisle and build bridges with people beyond his core support base. Power politics comes with its own compulsions. Annamalai and his colleagues may well drop their nationalist streak if doing so helps them electorally. BJP supporters should not lose sleep over this public shedding of skin.

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While BJP and Annamalai supporters are expending their energy running down each other, TVK is quietly getting on with governance. One can complain about the electricity outages. One can justifiably rant about Parandur. But beyond that, Joseph C. Vijay's government has done reasonably well. In just one month, he has delivered on his Singa Penn promise. Most of his ministers are still learning the ropes, but Arun Raj, Aadhav, S. Ramesh, and Raj Mohan have emerged as the standout performers so far. We expect more from the Industries Minister. But in all fairness, Keerthana deserves some time. Her role is largely about building investor confidence. Six months down the line, she will need to start delivering tangible results. All of Chennai is hoping that Vijay reconsiders his earlier stand on Parandur. Cancelling the airport project would set Chennai back by a decade. He can reverse his position without losing face by convening an all-party meeting. BJP, Congress, DMK, and AIADMK are unlikely to oppose the project. A unanimous resolution would give him the political consensus needed to move forward. Leadership is not about never changing your mind. It is about recognising when the larger interests of Tamil Nadu demand a different course and having the courage to act on it.

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One of the great accomplishments of Bharathiraja was that he took Tamil cinema back to its roots. He transformed films that often looked like stage plays into something far more cinematic. His films felt like a breath of fresh air. His filmography is the envy of many. My favourite five are Kizhakku Cheemayile, Karuthamma, Mudhal Mariyadhai, Vedham Pudhidhu, and Oru Kaidhiyin Diary. I also thoroughly enjoyed his take on Modern Love in the Amazon Prime anthology. Bharathiraja was a virtual university. So many actors, actresses, directors, and technicians owe their careers to him. Tamil Nadu has lost a titan today. Go well, Bharathiraja.

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“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” ~Marcus Aurelius , Meditations

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We think we've figured out the Annamalai plan. Essentially, it appears to be a revival of the script that was readied in the pre-COVID days. Rajinikanth had health issues and backed out of playing an active political role. The idea then was that he would be the Bal Thackeray-like figure, while Annamalai would serve as the lead face of the movement. For some reason, that plan was shelved, and Mr. A joined the BJP. Having witnessed Vijay's rise, perhaps there is now a group that believes the old plan should be dusted off and given a new form. The first clue may emerge on June 11. If actor Raghava Lawrence joins WeTheLeaders, we'll know the plan has been set in motion. For those unfamiliar with the equation, Mr. Lawrence is widely regarded as one of Rajinikanth's trusted associates. If he chooses WTL over TVK, it may indicate which way the dice is being rolled. The other usual suspects in such a plan would be Rangaraj Pandey and, who knows, perhaps even S. Gurumurthy. It is no surprise that both have been building a narrative favourable to Annamalai. In all likelihood, Annamalai may be the face, but the strings could lie elsewhere, perhaps in Poes Garden. Rajinikanth initially floated the idea of "Aanmeega Arasiyal" (spiritual politics). This could well be an attempt to give that concept a new spin. People have often wondered what the Superstar meant when he said, "Kaalam badhil sollum" ("Time will tell"). Perhaps he was alluding to something along these lines. We see two potential fault lines in such a political formation. First, the Superstar has traditionally avoided courting controversy, whereas Annamalai appears to thrive in it. Second, Rajinikanth has generally maintained a softer approach towards the DMK, while Mr. A is likely to favour a far more aggressive stance against the Dravidian major. Another potential minefield could be the equation between Annamalai's team and Rajinikanth's trusted circle. All this may sound like mere hypothesis. Yet the unusual silence from the national BJP leadership, coupled with the newfound warmth shown towards Annamalai by the entire state right-wing media ecosystem, suggests that there may be more stakeholders in this game than we initially thought. As always, time will tell whether this reading is insightful or highly speculative.

The State BJP has some very seasoned pros, like Raama Srinivasan (@ProfessorBJP), who handle both Tamil and English media deftly. Today, we saw how calmly he handled the press on the Annamalai issue. Despite repeated attempts by the media to provoke him, he simply said that those who leave the BJP have often found their way back to the party. From Shankersinh Vaghela, Keshubhai Patel, Madan Lal Khurana, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti and B.S. Yediyurappa, history suggests that leaders who exit the BJP often struggle to build a lasting political alternative on their own. By contrast, several leaders who left the Congress have gone on to flourish outside the party. His easy demeanour and unflustered answers are exactly what the party needs at this moment. Perhaps he could serve as the party's principal spokesperson over the next few months. Some of the other leaders could certainly learn a thing or two from the Professor.

In any organisation, when a senior leader quits, there is an unwritten rule: don't poach from your former organisation for at least six months or so. Yet, in less than a week since Annamalai's exit, several mid-level leaders across the state have mysteriously begun announcing their resignations on X. They may not hold high-profile positions, but the fact remains: they are leaving. And they are leaving to join an organisation that is not even a political party yet. What is even more curious is that hardly anyone from other parties seems to be "joining the movement." The flow appears to be almost entirely one-way. We are surprised that those entrusted with the responsibility of running the BJP in Tamil Nadu are allowing this to happen without even a murmur of protest. When a thousand holes are being poked in the wheels of an organisation, its leaders cannot afford to remain silent spectators. If the same thing had happened in Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh, the countermeasures would likely have been swift and decisive. Perhaps the leadership is preoccupied with developments in Bengal. But Tamil Nadu needs urgent attention too. The open poaching needs to be addressed before more organisational damage is done.

The state BJP needs to dissolve all its cells and undertake a complete organisational recast. A judicious mix of youth and experience is the need of the hour. Annamalai loyalists should be politely asked to step aside. If their heart belongs to WeTheLeaders, let them find their happiness there. Only those who believe in the BJP and are committed to the long haul should be entrusted with positions of power and responsibility. The faster the party acts, the better.

What we say may not appeal to many. But BJP supporters in Tamil Nadu need to recalibrate their expectations of their leaders. The 2026 election was virtually a black swan event. Nearly every established party suffered a major setback. BJP suffered too, winning just one seat. Our ally AIADMK delivered an underwhelming performance. TVK won big. It was clearly a change election. The voters wanted neither of the Kazhagams. They wanted Vijay. Yet some Annamalai supporters seem to entertain the notion that, had the BJP stuck with Annamalai and contested alone, he could have emerged as the people's first choice instead of Vijay. Those who hold such views need to come down from La La Land. Vijay's popularity was so overwhelming that if the BJP had contested alone, we would likely have lost our deposits in most constituencies in a five-cornered contest. The party's top leadership was aware of this. That is precisely why they chose to ally with AIADMK. With the Two Leaves symbol, there was at least a reasonable chance of coming to power. The gamble did not pay off. The average BJP supporter then poured all his anger on the local leadership. Nainar, Tamilisai, Vanathi, and L. Murugan bore the brunt of it. They were unfairly dubbed the "Fab Four" who brought down the party. Part of that anger stemmed from what many perceived as poor bargaining with AIADMK. There is nothing wrong with that criticism. Obviously, Vinoj P. Selvam in T. Nagar and S.G. Suryah in Velachery would probably have fared better than AIADMK candidates. But even they would have had a tough time against the Vijay tsunami that swept through Chennai. Now, regarding the alleged denial of a winning seat to Annamalai: the top leadership knew he was leaving. Annamalai himself says he first submitted his resignation in December. Why would the party fight for a seat for someone who had already decided to move on? Our view is that the 2026 defeat cannot be pinned solely on the "Fab Four." They executed the will of the national leadership, and the national leadership made the call it believed gave the party the best chance in a difficult election. Politics is not about finding scapegoats after every defeat. It is about learning the right lessons and preparing for the next battle. If BJP Tamil Nadu is to grow, it must stop tearing down its own leaders and start building the next generation of them. The future will be shaped not by those who dwell on yesterday's disappointments, but by those who get to work for tomorrow's victories.