TN ULB polls: Biggies throw full weight to win battle for Coimbatore

The poll fervour and fanfare endemic to local body polls were missing on Saturday across the state, but a stretch of western Tamil Nadu dubbed as kongu region witnessed a heated battle till the last hour of polling.

Coimbatore to Karur witnessed a fiery fight between the Dravidian majors DMK and AIADMK, thanks to the controversial political heavyweights SP Velumani of AIADMK and Senthil Balaji of DMK.

Except for the western Tamil Nadu the poll mood was dull across the state, and this is something not good for a state like Tamil Nadu where elections are a democratic festival celebrated every nook and corner, opined political commentator R Mani. However, the Coimbatore region is an exception, the teams of DMK minister Senthil Balaji and AIADMK minister SP Velumani were grounded fighting till the ballot units were closed. In other areas the political drama and the high decibel campaign was missing right from day one of the campaign, Mani noted.

“Both these politicians have emerged as lieutenants for their parties. While the leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami is banking on Velumani to retain Coimbatore as AIADMK citadel.

Chief Minister Stalin has deputed Senthil Balaji to wrest the kongu region from AIADMK,” said an AIADMK MLA admitting that the party had failed to put a similar tough fight in other areas.

“Local body polls are something fought at the ground level displaying the strength of the local party functionaries. Though the polling across the state has been lukewarm with deserted booths by evening, two prominent politicians took this civic poll to a different height in their terrain,” opined political commentator S Agneeswaran.

“It is SP Velumani versus Senthil Balaji in Coimbatore and Karur and both are known for high decibel campaign. The counting of votes will be more electric in this region on February 22, Agneeswaran said.