TIRUPPUR: The AIADMK has decided to allot the Avinashi (SC) Assembly constituency in Tiruppur district—considered one of its long-standing strongholds—to its alliance partner, the BJP.
Avinashi has largely remained an AIADMK bastion since the party began contesting Assembly elections in 1977. While the AIADMK lost in 1977 and an ally, the CPI(M), won in 1980, the party later fielded its own candidates in nine subsequent elections from 1984 to 2021.
Except for the 1996 election, when the DMK won, the AIADMK has retained the seat in the remaining contests. From 2001 to 2021, the constituency has continuously elected AIADMK MLAs, marking a 25-year run.
In the 2021 Assembly election, the BJP had sought Avinashi but local AIADMK leaders, including Speaker and sitting MLA Dhanapal, opposed giving up what they described as an easily winnable seat. The BJP then contested from Dharapuram (SC) instead.
This time, the AIADMK leadership has opened the door for the BJP in Avinashi after a gap of 45 years since 1980. BJP workers are said to be stepping up preparations, with Union Minister of State L Murugan expected to enter the fray.
