COIMBATORE: For the first time in its electoral history, Coimbatore, a district long regarded as a bastion of trade unions and left ideology, will see no candidates from communist parties in the fray.
The district’s thriving industrial base, historically anchored by National Textile Corporation (NTC) mills and private spinning units, fostered a strong trade union culture, making Coimbatore a natural stronghold for the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM).
However, the gradual closure of NTC and private mills has significantly diminished the influence of trade unions. Of Tamil Nadu’s seven NTC mills, five were located in Coimbatore, and all have ceased operations since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Over time, the erosion of unions has weakened the traditional support base of the Left in this region, resulting in significant political implications. Since the first assembly elections in 1952, Left parties had consistently fielded candidates, either independently or in alliance, winning key constituencies across the district,” said a CPI functionary.
Coimbatore East alone saw five CPM victories, while Perur and Singanallur each delivered two wins for the party. The CPI secured Valparai in 1980 and 2011. Similarly, the CPI had won the Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency five times in 1957, 1971, 1974, 1977 and 2004 and thrice by CPM in 1967, 2009 and 2019.
Political analysts attribute the absence of Left candidates in the 2026 Assembly polls largely to alliance negotiations. Both CPI and CPM had sought to contest Valparai and Singanallur seats under the DMK-led coalition, but were ultimately left out of the district’s electoral fray.
“Nevertheless, our focus now remains only on ensuring the victory of the DMK-led alliance in all ten constituencies of Coimbatore. Our party has already initiated poll work in this regard,” said CPM district secretary C Padmanabhan.