DMK’s reel politics: Tamil Nadu CM ‘Vibe with MKS’ appeals to younger voters with selfies and techniques

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Chennai: MK Stalin, the 73-year-old chief minister of Tamil Nadu, has traded his official platform to enchantment to younger voters on Instagram.

Beneath the ‘Vibe With MKS’ marketing campaign, Stalin is holding casual conversations with schoolchildren, influencers, athletes and aspiring college students, the content material of which is deliberately apolitical and supposed to be unfold on social media because the 2026 parliamentary elections method. The sequence was conceived by Stalin himself and launched with promotion on December 24, 2025, and is distributed on YouTube, Instagram and X.

The electoral arithmetic is obvious. Voters aged 18-29 represent 20.7 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s 5.67-crore constituency, in accordance with Election Fee information. This consists of 12.51 billion first-time voters aged 18-19 and greater than 1.05 billion within the 20-29 age group. Stalin’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is betting on reel-style content material to succeed in an age group that doesn’t eat conventional information, get together strategists say.

“Younger persons are the primary voters formed by reels, influencers, widespread artists and sportspersons. The standard strategies of rallies and speeches goal a unique viewers and do not work for younger individuals. Reels, memes and GIFs are methods to succeed in them and commercials enchantment to them that method with out making it political,” a member of Stalin’s technique crew informed ThePrint.

“It is not only a approach to speak to athletes, it additionally features as a device to encourage sports activities, which can even result in the event of younger individuals.”

In a standout episode, Stalin mentioned sports activities with younger athletes in a relaxed environment, devoid of the everyday veshti and official formalities. Throughout this episode, he inspired individuals to “get sporty” and requested candid questions on infrastructure challenges and the price of technical upskilling.

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One other episode featured musicians from all around the state. In it, CM listens to their inventive journey and overtly converses about their craft.

There was a surprising alternate from inside Stalin’s personal chambers. He invited Deva and Jeeva, brothers from Cuddalore district who encourage youngsters to be taught with their humorous Instagram reels.

Deva tells the chief minister that it’s her dream to develop into a collector, whereas Jeeva tells him that she needs to develop into a police officer. The brothers themselves spoke warmly in regards to the Chief Minister’s breakfast plan and volunteered it as an achievement.

On the finish of the episode, Stalin informed them: “You guys are doing nice in your reel work, however please focus in your research as a lot as making your reels to make your goals come true.” The CM gifted them with books and pens, they usually shot a selfie reel, which obtained a whole bunch of 1000’s of views inside hours.

Additionally learn: Caste, freebies, Dravidian ideology and new gamers—Tamil Nadu elections are not a DMK-AIADMK duopoly


DMK Digital Playbook

‘Vibe With MKS’ is a part of a wider operation.

DMK’s Data Know-how (IT) division has rolled out Katy Perry’s editorial lady’s world To attach with girls voters, it produced content material that includes singer-producer Anirudh together with Stalin appearances and launched Netflix-style reels, stickers, memes and GIFs.

The state’s Pudumai Pen scheme gives girls with a month-to-month stipend of Rs 1,000 in direction of greater training, and different skill-building alternatives are facilitated by means of reel-style periods with schoolchildren and aspiring college students.

“Whereas ‘Vibe with MKS’ is extra of an initiative to attach Gen Z, our thought can also be to determine and attain several types of viewers. A few of these collaborators embrace new dad and mom and younger household viewers,” stated a member of DMK’s IT division.

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“We’re seeing a mirrored image of the content material that these younger individuals eat, so we’re experimenting with several types of edits, songs, and memes,” he stated.

Different leaders are following go well with.

Kanchipuram MP CVMP Ezhilarasan launched ‘Loosen up with CVMP’ and Congress chief M. Appavu held ‘Discuss with Appavu’.

Senior DMK chief and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi had earlier performed the ‘Youth Dialogue with Kanimozhi’, which concerned college students in university-based interactive periods that went past political subjects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries

AI as an enabler

DMK members stated that behind this content material, the get together is deploying synthetic intelligence for real-time monitoring and fact-checking to counter misinformation that may undermine its assist, particularly to the youth.

TRB Rajaa, Minister of State for Business, Funding Promotion and Commerce, describes AI as a dedication to scientific temperament.

“The velocity at which pretend information spreads at this time requires an equally speedy response, and we’re doing this with the assistance of expertise, real-time monitoring, and collaborative digital techniques. In comparison with earlier elections, this cycle has develop into much more digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled. The accuracy and velocity of booth-level digital brokers and integration platforms have elevated. These techniques performed a vital function in our success in 2021 and have developed considerably since then,” he stated.

He stated AI is being utilized by the get together to research suggestions, generate focused communications, create and edit content material, translate at scale, and energy platforms like tnmanifesto.ai that mixture public opinion into structured coverage concepts.

He stated the crew is collaborating with each inner capabilities and exterior companions, and human judgment and moral requirements stay on the middle of all choices.

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Political analyst Arun Kumar stated the entry of actor Vijay, who based the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, into electoral politics has made digital outreach to the youth extra vital than ever.

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Political strategist Aspire Ok. Swaminathan traced the idea of a celebration’s IT arm again to former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and argued that despite the fact that the media panorama has modified, the basic goal of reaching younger voters stays the identical.

“The idea of an IT division for political events was began by former CM J. Jayalalithaa with the purpose of reaching out to the subsequent technology of voters who don’t eat information.The purpose stays the identical in at this time’s situation.Political events have additionally expanded their digital presence lately. They’re now taking their political messages the place their target market is. Each political get together is aware of its platform, however the DMK understands that its messaging must be totally different to face out,” he stated.

Swaminathan highlighted that the DMK is utilizing digital platforms to arrange its ballot manifesto.

“Other than conventional door-to-door canvassing, they collected data on-line for the manifesto. The CM is not a successor in ready, he’s now a commander in chief. No matter he does offline is amplified on social media,” he stated, referring to Stalin’s father, DMK patriarch and late chief minister M Karunanidhi.

Elections will probably be held in Tamil Nadu on April twenty third. Votes will probably be counted on Might 4th.


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