COIMBATORE: The TVK dashed all predictions in Gounder-dominated AIADMK citadel Kongu region
The party has made a decisive breakthrough in Coimbatore district winning six constituencies—Coimbatore North, Sulur, Kinathukadavu, Singanallur, Mettupalayam, and Kavundampalayam. The DMK secured victories in Valparai, Pollachi, and Coimbatore South, while the AIADMK managed to retain only Thondamuthur.
The outcome marks a dramatic reversal for the AIADMK, which had swept all ten constituencies in Coimbatore in the 2021 Assembly elections despite the DMK forming the government statewide. In 2016, the party had won nine out of 10 seats in the district. For over two decades, Coimbatore remained a reliable bastion of the AIADMK, an image that now stands decisively altered.
Among the closely watched contests was Coimbatore South, where DMK leader V Senthil Balaji secured a narrow victory margin of 2,271 votes. He polled 59,724 votes, edging past the TVK candidate, who garnered 57,453 votes, while the AIADMK candidate trailed with 31,689 votes.
In Salem, another stronghold, the AIADMK was leading in nearly seven constituencies, while the TVK was ahead in four. The DMK failed to open its account. In the 2021 elections, the AIADMK and its ally, the PMK, had won ten of the 11 seats.
In Dharmapuri, the AIADMK-PMK alliance appears to have found some relief, leading in four of the five constituencies in Dharmapuri, Palacode, Pappireddipatty, and Harur, while the TVK was going strong in Pennagaram. In the previous election, the alliance had swept all five seats.
In the Nilgiris, a traditional DMK bastion, the party secured victories in Coonoor and Gudalur, while the BJP won in Ooty.
Tirupur has emerged as a competitive battleground, with the TVK pocketing four constituencies, while the AIADMK and DMK are likely to secure two seats each.
In Krishnagiri, the TVK is poised to win Uthangarai and Krishnagiri, while in Erode district, the TVK has emerged as a dominant force, winning five constituencies.
Namakkal appears set to deliver one of the biggest setbacks to the AIADMK, with the party likely to draw a blank.
With the TVK’s emergence as a formidable force across western Tamil Nadu, the region’s political dynamics appear to be undergoing a significant transformation, challenging the long-standing dominance of the Dravidian majors.