In its essence, the 2026 assembly election in Tamil Nadu is a battle to build legacies. On the one side is the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its 73-year-old chief minister M.K. Stalin, who is attempting a remarkable feat for his party, a second consecutive term in power. On the other is their traditional rival, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and its general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS). For EPS, this is not just a battle to establish himself as a leader in his own right; it is also one to resurrect a party that has been braving many a storm since the death of its iconic leader, the late J. Jayalalithaa, in 2016.
