Constituency Watch | AIADMK to lock horns with Congress in Krishnagiri

With shared borders with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, as well as a mix of constituents, Krishnagiri braces for a head-to-head electoral clash between the AIADMK and the DMK-allied Congress. Both parties are leveraging narratives of anti-incumbency, targeting the BJP-led central government and the DMK administration at the state level. Adding to the mix, the BJP and the NTK are also vying for attention.

Of the six constituencies, Uthangarai and Krishnagiri are under the AIADMK, while Bargur and Hosur are under the DMK, with Thally represented by the CPI. Despite the BJP’s inroads in Hosur and Thally, its impact remains peripheral, with the DMK’s organisational prowess promising a fierce electoral fight.

In the Bargur constituency, DMK has seen turf wars and the AIADMK is seen to have the upper hand. Uthangarai, a reserved seat, also has a sizeable PMK base. Veppanahalli constituency has a strong AIADMK presence, with the party’s deputy general secretary K.P. Munusamy as its MLA.

Yet, the DMK’s welfare schemes, like the monthly assistance of ₹1,000 for women, seem to have bolstered the party’s popularity.

Under the DMK alliance, the Congress has fielded K. Gopinath, who had been elected a three-time MLA of Hosur. A local resident hailing from the Naidu community, Mr. Gopinath may appeal to the Telugu-speaking segment. He is also seen as non-controversial with no repel-factors. Krishnagiri constituency has a sizeable Muslim population that will vote for the DMK.

The AIADMK has nominated V. Jayaprakash, member of the Hosur Corporation Council, as its candidate in the upcoming elections. Jayaprakash was previously associated with the PMK until 2010, after which he switched sides. Despite this, he is still considered to have good relations with PMK supporters in the Uthangarai to Hosur region, which he plans to leverage to his advantage. Like Mr. Gopinath, Mr. Jayaprakash is also known to have friendly connections with the Muslim community, which could help him secure their votes for the AIADMK party.

The NTK has fielded Vidya Rani, daughter of slain forest brigand Veerappan. A lawyer by profession, Ms. Vidya Rani has been vocal about her parentage and has claimed a certain unique “appeal to the emotive connect that her father purportedly had with the hill villages abutting the forests.” In the last elections, NTK had a negligible vote share of over 2.41% with 28,000 votes.

The BJP has fielded C. Narasimhan, a state-level party functionary and one-time Member of Parliament. BJP is banking on the popularity of the PMK in various pockets of the assembly segments.

The PMK has a sizeable cadre base with a strong Vanniyar population in the district. In 2014 elections, PMK leader G.K.Mani secured 2,24,963 votes summoning a vote share of 21.04%, when the party fought the Lok Sabha elections alone. However, with a sizeable vote share, PMK’s votes may not entirely transfer to the BJP. For one, the oft-stated disenchantment of local PMK cadre with the party leadership for aligning with the BJP may cause disaffection. The two chief contenders are likely to split the PMK votes.