Chennai: Despite having its own political strategy firm ‘Populus Empowerment Network (PEN)’, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu has hired Rishi Raj Singh from I-PAC and Robbin Sharrma from Showtime Consulting for its 2026 election campaign.
A senior DMK source confirmed this strategic partnership to ThePrint, stating that the move aimed to put the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) at a disadvantage by securing these key consultants.
“We may not require multiple consultants, but by hiring them, we ensure they don’t work with the AIADMK,” the source, who wished not to be named, said.
The AIADMK had been in discussions with both Showtime Consulting and I-PAC since September 2024. However, both firms have now withdrawn from the AIADMK and signed with the DMK.
Political commentators in Tamil Nadu argue that this strategy might backfire on the DMK, as conflicting interests among multiple consultants could weaken their electoral strategy.
“Political consultants do not adhere to any ideology. They capitalise on the resources and insights gained from working with different parties. Consequently, having multiple agencies with conflicting business interests could be counterproductive rather than beneficial,” political commentator N. Sathiya Moorthy told ThePrint.
However, DMK party functionaries ThePrint spoke to said their primary concern was securing victory, regardless of the firm hired for election strategy.
DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan told ThePrint that the party workers were focused on ensuring a win, not on the specific consultants chosen by the leadership. “It is entirely the leadership’s decision. We work for the party and will follow the instructions given by the leadership,” he said.
Meanwhile, AIADMK IT wing secretary Raj Sathyan told ThePrint that the party was not reliant on political consultants and would formulate its own electoral strategy. “We have a dedicated team within our IT wing and do not intend to bring in external consultants to devise our election strategy,” he said.
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DMK’s strategy: hiring multiple consultants
Of the two consultancy firms the AIADMK was negotiating with, I-PAC was the first to withdraw. I-PAC sources told ThePrint that they had conducted surveys on the popularity of political leaders in Tamil Nadu and, after initial discussions, decided not to proceed with the AIADMK.
Following I-PAC’s withdrawal, AIADMK leaders were keen to engage Showtime Consulting’s Sharrma, who had recently secured a major victory for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, making Chandrababu Naidu the chief minister.
However, Sharrma was occupied with the Maharashtra polls and did not commit to working with the AIADMK at the time. In December, he told ThePrint that he was in discussions with several Tamil Nadu parties but had not finalised his decision, as he was still handling post-election strategies in Maharashtra.
Despite these uncertainties, both consultancies have now officially partnered with the DMK for the 2026 elections.
Sources from DMK’s political strategy firm PEN confirmed that these consultancies would collaborate with it to ensure a streamlined campaign. “While each firm will have its own strategies and recommendations, the final decision will rest with PEN,” a PEN consultant told ThePrint.
In addition to these two consultancies, DMK youth wing secretary and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin have already engaged political strategist Sunil Kanugolu.
Sources from the youth wing credit Kanugolu and his team for reshaping Udhayanidhi’s public image after he became the minister for youth welfare and sports development.
“From his appearance to his speeches, everything was meticulously planned by the team. The white T-shirt Udhayanidhi Stalin wears, featuring the youth wing’s emblem, was one of their initiatives. The team operates out of the deputy chief minister’s ‘Kurunji’ camp office,” a DMK youth wing functionary told ThePrint.
Securing a second term
While the DMK’s strategy of hiring multiple consultants—partly to prevent them from working with the AIADMK—may appear tactical, a senior DMK leader said the real objective was to secure a comfortable second consecutive term.
“Beyond day-to-day governance challenges, a major perception issue for the DMK is that it has never won a second consecutive term after coming to power. We are determined to change that narrative at any cost. That is the core agenda behind all these strategies,” the senior DMK leader told ThePrint.
The DMK first came to power in 1967, following its formation in 1949. The party secured a second term in 1971, defeating the Congress.
However, since M.G. Ramachandran (MGR)—then the DMK treasurer—split from the party to form the AIADMK in October 1972, the DMK has never secured consecutive terms in government.
In contrast, the AIADMK, under MGR, won three consecutive terms in 1977, 1980, and 1984. Later, under J. Jayalalithaa, it secured back-to-back victories in 2011 and 2016.
With the 2026 elections approaching, the DMK is now making every possible effort to break this pattern and ensure a second consecutive term.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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