India election 2019: Voters head to the polls (again)

The entire southern state of Tamil Nadu is voting today and 38 seats are up for grabs.Why is Tamil Nadu important?Those seats will have a big impact on the final tally to elect India’s next leader.States such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, which hold the largest share of seats are electorally significant.But there’s a twist, national political parties play only a minor role in Tamil Nadu. The state is dominated by two regional parties — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Amma Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).Both parties have taken it in turns to form state governments, and national parties like the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party usually have to form alliances, rather than contest the seats themselves.Why is this Lok Sabha election is different?Both parties are for the first time running without their anchors.Supporters hold a photograph of the late Tamil Nadu state leader Jayalalithaa Jayaram after her death in 2016. Supporters hold a photograph of the late Tamil Nadu state leader Jayalalithaa Jayaram after her death in 2016. INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty ImagesThe long-time matriarch of the AIADMK, Jayaram Jayalalithaa died in 2016 after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 68. She had been the leader of the party for more than two decades and was revered by Tamilians.Then in 2018, India’s oldest politician and the leader of the DMK, Muthuvel Karunanidhi died leaving behind a vacuum in the party leadership which his sons have jostled to fill.Both parties will be running without the name, support and leadership of the two heavyweights whose names are synonymous with Tamilian politics.       Cash for politicsPolitics in Tamil Nadu has always been a highly charged affair where millions of dollars are spent on publicity and election campaigns.It is also the state where the Election Commission (EC) has seized the maximum amount of unaccounted cash in India. In the month after the announcement of the election dates, the EC seized almost $30 million.Earlier this week, the EC canceled polls in a district citing voter influence after officials seized $1.6 million that was allegedly supposed to be distributed amongst voters in exchange for votes.The EC has seized millions of dollars in cash, gold and liquor in the last month during raids, inspections and vehicle checks at borders.