Will AIADMK wrest DMK stronghold of Tiruvarur?

However, the AIADMK sitting on a wafer-thin majority will be desperate to wrest the high-profile seat represented by DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. 

Tiruvarur, formed in 1962, is one of the star constituencies in the state as it was the home town of the late DMK chief M Karunanidhi. He contested twice in the constituency towards the end of his political career and won both the elections with a comprehensive margin. 

However, the Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of Karunanidhi, on August 7 and the Election Commission on Monday announced the bypoll for the constituency on January 28. 

In the past 13 elections, the first election faced by the constituency was in 1962 when Congress candidate CM Ambikapathy, won it. That was the only election that Congress won in the constituency. Later, in the subsequent elections, DMK won seven times and the CPM with a strong base of farmers, won five times from the constituency. 

The election history in Tiruvarur is clearly in favour of the DMK as all the parties, who have won the elections earlier, were in an alliance with the DMK. 

According to alliance parties, this time also the DMK candidate would win the bypoll with a huge margin. 

CPI state Secretary R Mutharasan who announced the support of CPI to DMK for Tiruvarur bypoll, said, “The AIADMK has not won a single election in Tiruvarur constituency and so the DMK candidate will win with a huge margin.”

He also said that left parties have a significant voter base in the Cauvery Delta districts and especially in Tiruvarur constituency as they have won five times from the seat. 

However, AIADMK Ministers said that they will change the history of Tiruvarur constituency. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said that for AIADMK facing election is like eating sugarcane and this time they will win the Tiruvarur constituency. 

Though the DMK is the favourite in the constituency it may not win the bypoll with the same margin of more than 68,000 votes, won by Karunanidhi, in 2016, as new entrant TTV Dhinakaran of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, is fighting hard to prove his presence in the state. 

In the meantime, MDMK general secretary Vaiko had extended support to the DMK in Tiruvarur bypoll. In a press meet, Vaiko said that MDMK will campaign for the DMK candidate and would make the party victorious. 

DMK president MK Stalin on Tuesday paid homage at the memorial of his father and former party chief M Karunanidhi and his mentor CN Annadurai at the Marina beach front on the occasion of New Year. Stalin, accompanied by DMK treasurer Duraimurugan paid floral tributes at the memorial of Karunanidhi, which was decorated on the occasion.