Arivalayam spoilt for choice as Coimbatore Mayor race hots up

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK is faced with the complex task of finalising the party mayor for Coimbatore Corporation, one of the prestigious corporations, if not the most, after the Greater Chennai Corporation.

Following the resignation of incumbent Mayor Kalpana, which is believed to have happened on the insistence of the high command, the party leadership has been tasked with getting its social engineering right while picking one among at least half a dozen party women councillors who are in contention to head the corporation of the industrial city.

Top among the contenders is Ambika Dhanapal, wife of the district organiser of Coimbatore town DMK youth wing unit Dhanapal.

Name of 24-year-old Nivetha Senathipathy, the youngest member of the Kovai civic council, is also doing the rounds in the DMK circles, just like it did immediately after the 2022 urban local body polls. Both women hail from the politically influential Gounder community.

District secretary Karthik’s wife Ilamselvi, who is also the chairman of the east zone, is also vying for the position. However, the community could work against her given that deputy mayor Vetriselvan also hails from the Naidu community she belongs to.

Seasoned councillor and incumbent central zone chairman Meena Loganathan, a well-known party platform speaker is also having a crack at mayorship this time, braving the opposition from within the district party unit. Also in the race is Corporation Works Committee Chairman Shanthi, whose husband Murugan is a party general council member.

DMK State IT wing functionary Tamilmarai’s wife and West zone chairman of Coimbatore corporation Theivanai is hopeful that her amiable nature would get her first past the post in the mayor race.

“The high command does not want to be perceived as ignoring Gounders by sacking Kalpana and replacing her with a non-Gounder candidate. Considering the keenness shown by the DMK leadership in wooing the community which was believed to be tilting towards the AIADMK even in 2021 Assembly polls, the high command would not risk losing the momentum it believed to have built by appointing many Gounder community members in key posts since returning to power in 2021,” said a party insider unwilling to be quoted.

However, there is also a perception within the party that it must learn its lesson from the recently concluded Parliamentary polls and pick a non-Gounder to ensure reverse consolidation of communities after the Gounders gravitated largely towards BJP’s Annamalai. Given the DMK leadership’s reputation for springing a surprise and proving punters wrong, Anna Arivalaym could also pick a low-profile candidate of its liking as it did in 2022 before the election of the Mayor happens next week.