Jallikattu was put on hold by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Angry people at Tamil Nadu's Alanganallur, the capital for the traditional bull taming sport Jallikattu, are threatening to surrender their voter ID cards and boycott the upcoming state polls till the ban on the sport is removed.
"Will they be able to get elected to those positions without our votes? We won't vote. We want Jallikattu," said A Chellamal, a resident of Alanganallur.
The controversial sport, opposed by animal rights activists and championed by politicians, was put on hold by the Supreme Court on Tuesday just five days after the union government lifted a ban on it.
For politicians, Jallikattu is a sport that unites a bulk of voters as performers, spectators, traders and transporters constitute an influential vote bank in five districts that account for 34 of the 234 seats. With hype on live TV and films, the controversial sport could impact voters beyond Jallikattu hotspots.
"It brings together people of all castes and creed. If Jallikattu happens, they would show their gratitude in elections and if it doesn't they would show their anger," said Shalini Sunderarajan, another Alanganallur resident.
State elections in Tamil Nadu are due later this year, and all parties have been urging the Centre to sanction the sport.
The festival was not held last year - it was banned by the erstwhile UPA government when the DMK was part of the alliance. This time, the DMK had demanded that the ban on the festival be lifted.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who, like other politicians, had lobbied heavily for the event to be allowed, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to use an executive order or ordinance to allow the sport to be held. DMK leader M Karunanidhi also issued a similar appeal to the PM.
The BJP that has no presence in the state championed the cause to break new grounds. Even the Congress now wants it back.
"We want Jallikattu. That's our stand," said Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief EVKS Elangovan.