Post Kamal entry, tough 3-cornered contest

Kamal has picked up Coimbatore South among the 234 constituencies for more reasons than one. It is considered to be a safe bet as both the mighty Dravidian parties have allotted this seat to their allies, Congress and BJP. Also, the constituency has a large urban populace that may favour his candidature.

The impressive track record of MNM in the last Lok Sabha polls with the party’s vice president securing 1.4 lakh votes from areas falling under this constituency adds up to his advantage. But it may not be an easy sail for Kamal as BJP has fielded its national women wing president Vanathi Srinivasan.

For Vanathi, the advantage is the community profile of the constituency with a sizeable north Indian and Brahmin population, who were perceived to back BJP traditionally. .

But what may work out against the saffron party is the presence of a sizeable Muslim population. “These Muslim localities remained an epicentre of CAA protests in Coimbatore. It may also become as a set back for her, if the resentment among the AIADMK party men against backing Vanathi is not settled amicably,” said an AIADMK local functionary.

“People may come to see Kamal only as an actor and it may not translate into votes. There was some initial resentment in AIADMK when I was chosen for the constituency, but they have now become my supporters,” she said. The DMK-Congress combine has fielded Congress leader ‘Mayura’ S Jayakumar, a businessman. He was a runner up in the 2016 polls. The general grouse is that many of the Muslim dominated areas were bereft of proper roads and have been riddled with erratic water supply, traffic issues and poor sanitation.

The anti-incumbency against the sitting MLA Amman Arjunan over his performance may also bring in votes to the Congress. Similar voices of discontent also echoed from goldsmiths and gold merchants, who form a sizable population in the constituency.