A fierce battle on in Dharapuram among three leading contenders

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The TVK election office in the Dharapuram Assembly constituency. | Photo Credit: PERIASAMY M

The Dharapuram Assembly constituency, which has 2.23 lakh electors and where a byelection is scheduled for October 6, is witnessing a fierce battle among three major parties: the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

“In all likelihood, this will be reflected in the outcome, regardless of the winner,” says K.M. Ramasamy, a veteran farmer in the constituency. The three major parties’ nominees are P. Sathyabama (TVK), who defected from the AIADMK after winning from the constituency in the April-May election; S. Suganya of the DMK; and K. Bhanumathi of the AIADMK. The Left has fielded P. Lakshmanan of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) has put up M. Karthika.

Leaders of the three parties are making last-minute outreach to the people, even as Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, who covered the constituency once, is planning to visit it again on October 4. Former Chief Ministers M.K. Stalin of the DMK and Edappadi K. Palaniswami of the AIADMK conducted roadshows on Friday. Mr. Palaniswami had visited the area twice. All the three parties have drafted many of their senior functionaries for the election work.

The TVK’s campaign is being spearheaded by Revenue Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan, while the DMK and the AIADMK have entrusted the work to former Ministers, including Vellakoil M.P. Saminathan and Thangam Thennarasu, of the DMK, and Pollachi V. Jayaraman and Dindigul C. Sreenivasan, of the AIADMK. However, in contrast to the vibrant atmosphere that can be felt all the time at the offices of the TVK and the DMK on Dharapuram town’s main road, the AIADMK‘s office wears a sober look.

Though Dharapuram has been set apart for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) since 1967, the Kongu Vellala Gounders, according to an estimate, constitute 42% of the population, followed by the SCs with 32%. Chettiars and Nadars account for 3.7% each, while the shares of Muslims and Christians are 4% and 1.8%.

The fledgling TVK, being the ruling party, enjoys goodwill among certain sections, especially women. But some volunteers of the party say that if the party had put up someone else instead of Ms. Sathyabama, there is no need for Mr. Vijay to campaign personally. They concede that their party’s nominee did face hostile treatment in some villages because of her decision to seek re-election within such a short period on a “weak” ground. But Keerthana, a young homemaker of Manakadavu village, feels the ruling party deserves to be given a “fair chance” and the criticism that the government has not fulfilled many of the electoral promises does not hold water as every other party, which was in power till now, took its own time to implement its assurances.

The DMK, which represented the constituency during 2021-26, is contesting virtually single-handedly, as most of its allies have deserted it, and are backing the TVK. The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) is an exception, and its general secretary Premallatha Vijayakant was in the constituency a few days ago. However, the DMK is taking no chances. Its fieldwork has been acknowledged by a functionary of the AIADMK, who is from Coimbatore. “Our workers are working vigorously and the upset we suffered in the general election has only prompted them to work much more fiercely than what it would have been otherwise,” says I.P. Senthilkumar, three-time legislator and son of the DMK’s face in Dindigul district I. Periyasamy.

The AIADMK, which may appear to be weak, is no pushover as it continues to have considerable hold in the constituency, according to a cross-section of the people. A resident of the town, who is a mechanical engineer, says that traditionally, the DMK is stronger in urban areas and the AIADMK in the villages. The entry of the TVK has upset the applecart. Mr. Ramasamy, the farmer, says the ruling party appears to have grown at the cost of the AIADMK, something that the DMK feels will work to its advantage.

Mr. Jayaraman, the former Minister, says those who had voted for the TVK in the general election have started realising that the TVK does not mean what it had promised, and it cannot be taken seriously. “The AIADMK being the only credible alternative to the DMK, the voters will elect our candidate once again,” he says.

“Irrespective of the party that is bagging the seat this time, the winner should take steps for resolving water shortage in our constituency where most of the farmland is rain-fed,” says N. Natarajan, another farmer who lives near Dasanaickenpatti village. He adds that he has submitted a project proposal to Mr. Sengottaiyan for groundwater recharge.

Mr. Ramasamy points out that the farmers have been buying water for farming and feeding the cattle and the poultry. For 24,000 litres, they had paid ₹5,000 in the last three-four months, because of the failure of the Southwest monsoon, he recalls.

It remains to be seen whether the result, to be declared on October 9, will make a meaningful difference to the electors who struggle for water.

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