3 months ago
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As Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay proposes to sojourn Salem on Friday (February 13, 2026), present is an investigation of the show of the State’s main governmental forces – the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) – successful the district.
Traditionally known to beryllium a stronghold of the AIADMK, Salem favoured the party in 10 retired of its 11 Assembly constituencies, both successful the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections – the outlier being Salem (North). Unlike successful 2016, when the AIADMK contested unsocial successful 2016, it faced the 2021 election unneurotic with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
However, during the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, the enactment saw an erosion of its vote base when it faced the electorate only with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), whereas the PMK was a constituent of the BJP-led front. The AIADMK was up of its accepted adversary, the DMK, lone successful 2 Assembly segments, whereas the second overtook the erstwhile successful nine.
In presumption of the mean ballot stock for the district, the AIADMK-led combine netted 50.34% and the DMK-headed beforehand secured 39.34% successful 2021. Three years later, the figures of ballot stock were astir 37.3% and 42.5%, respectively, portion the BJP-led conjugation received 10.8%.
With the instrumentality of the BJP and the PMK to the AIADMK fold, the Dravidian major appears to be in an advantageous position, adjacent though the ruling DMK and its allies are readying to bash everything to retain the pb that they secured 2 years ago. The radical owing allegiance to the PMK’s laminitis S. Ramadoss has not yet announced its presumption connected the contented of alliance.
‘Contest betwixt Dravidian majors’
“As acold arsenic Salem is concerned, we bash not view him [Mr. Vijay] oregon his party as a unit to reckon with,” S. Semmalai, four-time MLA and erstwhile an MP from Salem, says, adding that the contention remains betwixt the 2 Dravidian majors. He expresses assurance that his party will emerge victorious, with its aged allies backmost successful the fold.
A look astatine the results’ information for 2021 and 2024 reveals that the archetypal 2 formations garnered around oregon astatine slightest 80% of ballot stock connected some occasions, though owed to the conditions prevalent successful the previous Assembly election, the combined ballot stock was astir 89%. A functionary of the DMK successful the territory says that arsenic the abstraction for a 3rd unit – fto unsocial the TVK – is highly limited, the chances of Mr. Vijay’s enactment cutting into the bases of the 2 parties are dim.
But the TVK’s assertion that it has astatine slightest 1 elector successful each household ration paper applies to Salem, too, observes the party’s office-bearer. TVK leaders person besides repeatedly expressed the anticipation that “the strength of Mr. Vijay’s appeal” among women and younger generations will bash wonders for their prospects successful the upcoming polls.
