Populism is the very idea of ​​representing the common people and speaking for them. In populism, society is divided into two elites. One is “the pure people” and the other group is “the corrupt elite”. Populists fight for the will of the people and aim to represent the people and conduct their politics on behalf of the citizens. However, in this context, there are different elites represented by politicians, for example there would be populists representing different communities, genders and age groups. Populism has played a significant role in Tamil Nadu over the years. In this regard, it is very relevant to mention the two major parties of Tamil Nadu and their unique way of applying populism in their politics. Being a populist, you not only speak for the benefit of the people, but also highlight the “other” group or groups, also known as the corrupt elite, who are contradictory in their political views. Two of the largest and most successful political parties in Tamil Nadu are the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kalagam) and the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kalagam). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayParties are parties of resistance and, especially in this context, it is important to affirm a common good between both parties, namely mutual hostility. The fact that these two parties have contradictory elements in their “populist politics” is a key factor in explaining why these parties are opponents of each other and why they have different target groups. Among these, there are two different strategies: “empowerment populism” and “protection populism”. The AIADMK was greatly influenced by “protection populism” which was aimed at taking care of the weakest in the society, providing for them and protecting them. In contradiction to this fact, DMK's populism was aimed at the middle class of society. The main aim of the AIADMK was to uplift the poor and weak of the society. This strategy dates back to MGR's time. MGR was very famous among the backward castes and classes, and above all he had great support from the women of this elite, thanks to his "superhero" roles in his films and his special consideration towards women in society through speeches . Furthermore, J. Jayalalitha's joining her party, gave a lot of hope among the women followers, as it was the first time that Tamil Nadu experienced having such a valuable and powerful woman leader. Some sources indicate that MGR's image in some films, where he was portrayed as an individual who belonged to a low caste family, made the lower caste elite relate to him and were able to accept the “reel hero” as their “real hero”. MG Ramachandran represented the common citizen, being the people's representative, also known as "Makkal Thilagam" in Tamil. Jayalalithaa, who has been the linchpin of the AIADMK since the loss of MGR, has followed in his footsteps and paid special attention to the most vulnerable in the community society, providing food to the poor, laptops to students and with her speeches to women and to the poor. lower caste individuals. An interesting factor in relation to populism in Tamil Nadu is the goods offered to different target groups. This has been happening for centuries and the recent elections in RK Nagar, Chennai, have shown that the value of money and materials has trumped democracy. This situation is a good example of how materialist populism is very successful in Tamil Nadu. “Some things simply cannot be changed in Tamil Nadu, which leads people like us to be selfish and vote for the party which can provide us with some goods,” he.