DMK is number three in Lok Sabha this time

Chennai: If it was the AIADMK the last poll, now it is the turn of the rival DMK to score big in this election and emerge as the third largest party in the Lok Sabha. For Tamil Nadu, this is the second time in a row that its regional party has emerged big in the Parliament, though cynics could snigger that the DMK MPs can do little in Modi's durbar, notwithstanding the fact that the BJP government would need the support of the Dravidian major to push through constitutional amendment bills needing two-thirds majority.

With 23 MPs, and some of them like A Raja, Dayanidhi Maran and Kanimozhi being seasoned players in Delhi, the DMK is going to the third largest party in the Lok Sabha. Archrival AIADMK had that position in the last House and its nominee Thambidurai enjoyed the position of Deputy Speaker, while the TN Government had great going while Jayalalithaa was in control as the Chief Minister.

Of course, the AIADMK status vis-à-vis the BJP leadership dipped steep after her demise.

As a matter of fact, the DMK will be only 30 seats less than its major ally, the Congress, whose leader Rahul Gandhi was proposed as the Prime Minister choice by DMK president M K Stalin. Rahul's party has won only 52 seats.

In this House, Mamata's Trinamool Congress and YSR Congress of Jaganmohan Reddy will hold the fourth slot with 22 members each. The Opposition benches will be filled with members from the south and the DMK's huge bloc will stand out, particularly when its MPs rise to speak in their chaste Tamil and on issues concerning the state, such as Cauvery, NEET, Mullaperiyar, Sterlite, and so on.

Political observers see the DMK performance as a huge opportunity given to the party and its leader M K Stalin to build up the momentum for the Local Body polls-whenever they are held-and the Assembly elections due in 2021, though Stalin insists they will happen much sooner.