Erode Constituency: Who Will Win In Periyar, The Heart of Dravidian Politics?(image:twitter.com/ECISVEEP/)
Election campaigns are heating up in the Erode Lok Sabha constituency, known as the land of Periyar and the heart of Dravidian politics. Erode Venkatappa Ramaswamy, revered as the father of the Dravidian Movement, occupies a prominent role in the political legacy of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu goes to the polls on April 19, in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections.
The outcome of the upcoming Lok Sabha election is crucial for the future of Dravidian political movements. Out of 39 Lok Sabha constituency, Erode constitutes one of the key battlegrounds for the Dravidian political rivalry between Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Erode Lok Sabha constituency, formed in 2009 is a general category Parliament seat and it comprises part of Erode, Namakkal and Tiruppur districts. Presently, the constituency consist of six legislative assembly segments Kumarapalayam, Erode East, Erode West model, Kurichi, Dharapuram and Kangeyam.
In the 2019 Parliamentary election, the total number of voters in the Erode Lok Sabha constituency was 1,462,076. The number of voters has increased to 1,528,241, with 787,762 female voters and 740,298 male voters, local news portal Vikatan reports. As per 2011 census, SC voters in the constituency are estimated as 2,45,629 accounting for 16.66 percentage of population, while ST voters make up to 0.6 percentage of the area. The higher population of Kongu Vellalar Gounders constitutes as significant vote bank in Erode. Other significant voter groups include Mudaliyars, Vettuvars, Dalits, North Indians, Nadars, and Vanniyars. Agriculture and textile industries serve as the main sources of income for the region.
In the 2019 and 2014 elections, DMK and AIADMK alternately won the Erode Lok Sabha constituency, represented by Ganeshmurthi A and Selvakumar Chinnayan S respectively. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the DMK-INC alliance secured four MLAs from the Erode parliamentary constituency, while AIADMK and BJP each secured one MLA.
The prominent candidates in the poll fray includes DMK”s KE Prakash, AIADMK”s Atral Ashok Kumar, and Vijay Kumar of the Tamil Manila Congress (TMC).
KE Prakash serves as the youth wing deputy secretary of the DMK. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremp MK Stalin campaigned for the Prakash in Erode on March 30 and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), led by Kamal Haasan, has also been active in the constituency to support DMK.
AIADMK”s Aatral Ashok Kumar is the second-richest candidate in the first phase of the election, boasting assets worth a staggering Rs 583.48 crore. He has worked for multinational companies and was an educator, though he faces criminal charges under IPC sections 147, 447, 511, 506, and 109.
Meanwhile, Vijay Kumar, the TMC candidate, is running with the support of the BJP.
DMK and AIADMK have traditionally maintained strong vote banks in this constituency. However, the NDA is making concerted efforts to expand its influence in the region, which for a long time witnessed only a bipolar contest between DMK and AIADMK.
Political observers note that the Congress secured a decisive victory over its AIADMK rival in the by-election on February 27, 2023, with a margin of 66,233 votes, bolstered by DMK support. According to a report by Business Today, DMK dominated the 2019 elections, winning 38 out of 39 seats in Tamil Nadu. This time, DMK”s position might be strengthened due to the apparent rift between the BJP and AIADMK in their alliance.
(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project.)
