MADURAI: Will history repeat itself in Tamil Nadu at chief minister J Jayalalitha’s expense? Back in 2004, a super confident Jayalalitha struck an alliance with the NDA led by prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee believing that an NDA wave will catapult her party to victory and to a major role in the second NDA administration. But, everyone knows what happened after that.A massive DMK-Congress wave destroyed her party, throwing out the NDA government at the centre, heralding 10 years of Congress rule in Delhi. In 2014, the ruling AIADMK would like to believe that things are different today than they were in 2004. There are probably more differences than similarities in 2014. There is an anti-Congress wave instead of an anti-NDA wave. DMK and Congress are fighting separately than together; NDA is heading a six-party alliance that is aiming to ride on Modi’s popularity and make a dent in over four decades of Dravidian dominance.But there are important similarities too. Just like 2004, Jayalalitha appears to have woken up late to the fact that her party’s hold in the state may be weakening. Ten years ago, she responded by promoting then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in posters and speeches hoping that the ageing PM’s popularity would rub off on her.Today, she is responding to her slide by attacking Narendra Modi, hoping to persuade floating voters attracted to Modi and minorities and dalits enthused by the DMK. Ten years ago, voter anger at her party’s alleged misdeeds were at an all-time high; today, there is an equally strong surge of anger at her government’s non-performance.In 2004, her party wanted to sweep all 40 seats (including one in Puducherry) but ended up with nil. This time, they may not fare so badly, but her dreams of a strong performance are slowly fading away.Arising tide of anger is lifting the DMK and to a lesser extent the NDA alliance in the state.Savage power cuts, upto 18 hours a day in some villages, water woes and unemployment is driving voters to consider alternatives that they may not have contemplated a few months ago. In some districts and seats, this anger is getting fuelling an attraction to the DMK. In others, especially in places alongside the main national highway, the NDA is emerging stronger thanks to its sixparty coalition.DMK is airing ads attacking Jayalalitha’s AIADMK for power and water cuts and for failing to live upto promises. Modi’s promise of jobs, effective governance is finding resonance in the unlikeliest of places, Karur and Dindigul, traditional AIADMK strongholds, and in Tuticorin.In Idaiseval, a village off NH7 in Tuticorin, the clamour for Modi and the NDA is probably the loudest. A gathering of villagers elders and youth in the temple complain about lack of water, jobs and power.“We think Modi is the right man for the job. We need river interlinking to solve our water problem,” said one village elder. A young man complains or poor work opportunities even in new industries that have sprung up in Tuticorin’s coastal areas.