Often ignored by mainstream media and derided on social media, a Tamil nationalist party established in 2010 following the annihilation of the LTTE in Sri Lanka, to fight for the Tamil race, has been growing from strength to strength in the electoral field, as well as in popularity among the Tamil youth and women. The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK—We are the Tamil People) was established by firebrand moviemaker Seeman.

In its first wide electoral debut in the 2016 assembly election, the party won a meagre 1 per cent vote share. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, it made people sit up and take notice, winning 4 per cent votes (a bigger share than the national BJP). In the 2021 assembly elections, it blew everyone’s expectations out of the water, winning 7 per cent votes, and finishing third in many constituencies.