Tamil Nadu polls: DMK bets on Senthilbalaji to breach ADMK’s western bastion | India News

In the early hours of June 14, 2023, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Tamil Nadu Power Minister V Senthilbalaji in a money laundering case, the result of a cash-for-service scam during his previous term as an ADMK minister. As he lost his ministry, suffered a heart attack and spent more than a year in jail, many felt it was time to write his political obituary.As the state again races for government elections, Senthilbalaji is still not out of legal trouble But he is the man that Chief Minister MK Stalin has turned to revive DMKIts fate is in western Tamil Nadu. After moving south to Coimbatore from Karur in central TN, the 50-year-old is back in action — candidate, strategist and DMK hope to wrestle in western Tamil Nadu. Senthilbalaji’s brief is not only to win his seat, but also to deliver the region for the coalition led by his party.

Senthilbalaji says Coimbatore is his second home; He hails from the Gonda community which is a dominant block in this part of Tamil Nadu. But caste is only one part of the equation—his organizational skills and tactics are just as much. Stalin gave him charge of Coimbatore district immediately after the 2021 elections. It was then considered the stronghold of ADMK leader SP Velumani, another Gander. Senthilbalaji’s first decision was to remove or sideline DMK workers whom he believed to be either inactive or in cahoots with the ADMK.The protest took place when Senthilbalaji brought hundreds of his supporters from Karur to Coimbatore for the 2022 local body elections. The DMK alliance won 96 of the 100 wards of the city corporation and 31 of the 33 city panchayats in the district. Stalin is now relying on that intelligence.Senthilbalaji entered electoral politics in 2006, winning as an ADMK candidate. After the death of J Jayalalithaa, he joined the DMK in 2018 and contested the 2019 by-election from Aravakurichi near Karur. In 2021, he moved to Karur; 2026 is the first time he has moved away from his home turf.Writer J Balasubramanian explains that the Coimbatore region lacked a prominent leader after former DMK minister Pongalur N Palaniswami. “In 2021, DMK lost 10 assembly seats in Coimbatore district. This will ring alarm bells for Stalin,” he said. The party won only 16 of the 57 assembly seats in the eight districts of the western region.In Karur, Senthilbalaji proved a point when the DMK seemed weakened after the retirement of local strongman KC Pallanishamy and the death of former district secretary Vasuki Murugesan in 2009. In the 2016 assembly elections, the DMK won only one of the four seats in Karur district. After Senthilbalaji joined, the team won all four in 2021 “Senthilbalaji has a track record of giving what his leader wants,” said a DMK official

Once a Left party and Congress stronghold, the western region turned to ADMK under MGR. He enjoyed a large following among OBCs and Dalit Arunthathiyars—groups that still bankroll the ADMK. Despite DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s outreach to the Ganders — he reclassified them as backward classes — the community largely stayed with the ADMK.DMK, however, managed to get the votes of Orutthiyars due to internal reservation of 3%. MGR’s successor Jayalalitha carried on the legacy, which has been further nurtured by current ADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, also a Ganda.So, for Senthilbalaji, Coimbatore South may not be a cakewalk. In 2021, BJP’s Banathi Srinivasan managed to win by 1,728 votes against filmstar and MNM founder Kamal Haasan here. DMK ally Congress was nowhere near the top spot. This time, Senthilbalaji is facing ADMK’s Amman Arjunan, Banathi has moved to North Coimbatore. Senthilbalaji’s first visit during the campaign was to the Muslim-dominated neighborhood of Kottaimedu. Arjunan says minorities will not fall for Senthilbalaji’s tricks. “They have always supported us,” he says.But Senthilbalaji is a keen organiser. He has nominated 15 as independents from Karur, Coimbatore South. “Each candidate is allowed two representatives in a polling booth. This means 30 additional booth agents for Senthilbalaji,” said Arjunan.DMK youth wing leader Pinthamij Pari explained Senthilbalaji’s tricks. “Our booth committees usually have 10 to 12 members. But in Coimbatore, each has 25 members and each member should get 50 votes. Senthilbalaji’s men – some call them the ‘Karoor gang’ – go to the houses of local party workers and collect feedback. They work overtime. They know this election, we can decide the future of their ‘DM2’ leaders.