The lighting of the Karthigai Deepam on Thiruparankundram Hill in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, has ignited political controversy, with the BJP dubbing it the 'Ayodhya of the South.' The Madras High Court ruled that the Hindu community has the right to light the lamp, despite the DMK government's claims of potential communal tensions. On the ground, local residents report a calm atmosphere, contradicting the heightened political rhetoric. The electoral battle is intensifying as the AIADMK and DMK strategize around caste dynamics, particularly with the Thevar community, which constitutes a significant portion of the electorate. The DMK's decision to field a candidate from the same community aims to split the Thevar votes, while the BJP seeks to capitalize on the controversy to gain traction across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK's Rajan Chellappa, who won the previous election by a margin of 29,000 votes, faces a challenging landscape with multiple candidates from his community in the race. The BJP's manifesto includes a commitment to maintaining a permanent lamp on the hill, further entwining the controversy with the upcoming elections.