Virudhachalam: Vijayakanth’s Winning Bastion — Premalatha Returns Amid 2021 Setback

Vijayakanth’s winning constituency, Virudhachalam, is set for a high-voltage contest with multiple parties in the fray. In this constituency, which was once a stronghold of Vijayakanth, the DMDK, part of the DMK alliance, is contesting. Similarly, the PMK, part of the AIADMK alliance, is also in the race. Alongside them, candidates from Naam Tamilar Katchi and TVK are also contesting, making it a fierce four-cornered contest.

In the DMK alliance, 10 constituencies have been allocated to the DMDK. In the AIADMK alliance, 18 constituencies have been allotted to the PMK. Generally, in parliamentary and Assembly constituencies, certain seats gain prominence due to specific candidates and are often referred to as star constituencies.

In that category, Virudhachalam is considered a significant constituency. While the constituency already had its own importance, it gained further prominence when Vijayakanth founded the DMDK and contested from here, securing victory.

At present, in the same constituency, DMDK’s Premalatha, representing the DMK alliance, is contesting. Similarly, Tamil Arasi Adhimoolam from the AIADMK alliance is in the fray. Vijay is contesting on behalf of TVK, while Amudha Nambi is contesting from Naam Tamilar Katchi.

Amid this four-cornered contest, it is important to look at some electoral figures and history of the Virudhachalam constituency. In the 2006 Assembly elections, DMDK founder Vijayakanth made his electoral debut from this constituency and entered the Assembly after securing victory.

In that election, contesting independently, he defeated both the then ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK, marking a milestone in Tamil Nadu politics. Subsequently, in 2011 as well, the constituency remained with the DMDK.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Congress candidate M.R.R. Radhakrishnan won from this seat and is currently serving as the MLA.

The constituency has strong vote banks for DMK, AIADMK, PMK and Congress. With approximately 2.37 lakh voters, the number of male and female voters remains nearly equal.

In 2006, Vijayakanth secured a total of 49,795 votes in Virudhachalam, accounting for around 33.4% of the total votes polled. PMK candidate R. Govindasamy secured 36,018 votes, while AIADMK candidate Karmegam secured 29,380 votes.

Vijayakanth won by a margin of around 13,777 votes in his very first election, creating a significant shift in Tamil Nadu politics. Following this, in the 2011 elections, DMDK’s V. Muthukumar, contesting in alliance with AIADMK, secured 72,902 votes (47.24%) and won.

However, in 2016, when contesting independently, the DMDK’s vote share declined to 34,036 votes. In 2021, when it contested as part of the AMMK alliance, the party’s performance further declined, pushing it to the fifth position.

In that election, DMDK’s Premalatha contested as part of the AMMK alliance. A total of 29 candidates were in the fray. Congress candidate Radhakrishnan emerged victorious, while PMK secured the second position. As a result, Premalatha lost her deposit.

This marked a significant setback for the DMDK, with criticism emerging that even the party’s general secretary could not secure a win in a constituency. In this context, Premalatha is once again contesting in the 2026 Assembly elections.

After the DMK alliance partner Congress won the seat last time, there is now anticipation among Vijayakanth’s supporters on whether the DMDK, now part of the DMK alliance, can reclaim victory in Virudhachalam.