It's happening in Tamil Nadu

That's the strangest thing about Tamil Nadu: its politics. For full five years, posters of Jayalalithaa were plastered on walls all over the city. Overnight, they have been replaced by those of a smiling Karunanidhi. It is a 'laughing' Karunanidhi actually: he never smiles in the posters, but laughs -- as if someone has just cracked a joke. Jaya, on the other hand, is always sombre.

The laughing Karunanidhi is going to preside over Tamil Nadu's -- at least Chennai's -- roads for the next five years. But having witnessed the elections in the state for the second time in a row, a few questions spring up to my mind:

1. Why does Tamil Nadu never have a hung Assembly-type of situation? Why does the winning party usually sweep elections in spite of the absence of any apparent wave?

2. Why do the AIADMK and the DMK behave as sworn enemies instead of political opponents? Even the leaders of the BJP and the Congress, or even the Left, are cordial at the personal level? And if Vaiko can join hands with Jaya after being sent to jail by her, why is there no hope of Kanunanidhi and Jayalalithaa ever being at least civil to each other?

3. Why do people commit suicide whenever their political hero or cine hero (often the same in case of Tamil Nadu) loses elections or passes away?

But one good thing about parties getting sweeping majority is that there is governance in the state -- different matter that you may or may not like the style of governance. In other states, governance usually takes the backseat because those in government are preoccupied with their survival in power. The fact that Uttar Pradesh has gone to the dogs is because the state has been having a hung Assembly for years now. That is why Tamil Nadu is no longer seen as a place where "Madrasis" live and where people eat only idli and dosa. Tamil Nadu is happening.