Hindu organisations have urged the BJP to contest again from the Coimbatore South Assembly constituency in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election, according to reports.
The BJP is said to have a notable vote base in Coimbatore after Kanyakumari. Despite minorities forming an estimated 30% to 40% of the electorate in Coimbatore South, the party is described as having a strong presence there.
In the 2016 Assembly election, BJP candidate Vanathi Srinivasan secured 33,113 votes (21.57%). The report noted that when the BJP contested alone that year, Coimbatore South was the only constituency outside Kanyakumari where it retained its deposit.
Ahead of the 2021 election, when the AIADMK-BJP alliance was formed, the AIADMK initially refused to allot the seat to the BJP, but the BJP later secured it. In a three-cornered contest involving the DMK, MNM and AIADMK, the BJP won even as actor Kamal Haasan also contested.
Now, with speculation that Vanathi may be moved to Coimbatore North, groups such as Hindu Munnani and Hindu Makkal Katchi are said to be opposing the shift. They described Coimbatore South as a “land of sacrifice” for Hindu organisations and said the rise of Hindu groups and the BJP in the Kongu region began there, urging the BJP leadership to keep the seat and stating they are continuing to press for it.
