Three seats in T.N. to witness a direct clash between Left and BJP

As Tamil Nadu gears up for a four-cornered election battle, three constituencies – Padmanabhapuram in the south, Thalli in the west, and Gandarvakottai (R) in the central region – will witness a clash between the Left and Right candidates, who represent two ends of the political spectrum.

Thalli in Krishangiri district will primarily feature a fight between the CPI and BJP, while Padmanabhapuram in Kanniyakumari district and Gandarvakottai in Pudukottai district will witness a face-off between CPI(M) and BJP candidates.

While the BJP has won once in Thalli and Padmanabhapuram, the Left parties have represented all three seats. In the 2021 elections, the BJP was defeated by the CPI in Thalli.

Aadhavan Dheetchanya of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers’ and Artists’ Association said the BJP must be confronted as an organic extension of the RSS rather than just another political competitor.

He argued that the BJP entering the fray in Thali, despite losing by over 56,000 votes last time, underscored a desperate ambition to secure a foothold in a region historically characterised by a strong RSS presence and intense ideological friction.

The socio-economic landscape of Thalli further complicates this battle, as the constituency features a significant population of the SC/STs, but remains largely dominated by land-owning communities and influential families.

Leveraging the class dynamics and tapping into the region’s historical openness to national parties, the BJP has steadily expanded its influence, he said, adding the significant Muslim community in Denkanikottai has provided the party with a foundation to build a counter-narrative against minorities.

In Padmanabhapuram, the CPI(M) is slated to face the BJP after 1996, when the latter’s C. Velayudham won with 27,443 votes. According to Mr. Dheetchanya, the face-off is significant as it aligns with the BJP’s broader objective to politically isolate the considerable Christian population in that region.

CPI(M) senior leader G. Ramakrishnan said the Communist parties, as national-level entities, could leverage national issues such as the BJP-led Union government’s impact on federalism, its controversial labour codes, and the rising cost of living.

By framing the local contests as part of a larger resistance against authoritarianism and communal polarisation, the Left aims at transcending regional politics, he added.

However, BJP’s Narayanan Thirupathy charged the Communists with abandoning their ideological roots. “The left in Tamil Nadu are just off-shoots of the DMK now. They no longer have a voice of their own,” he said, expressing confidence of the BJP’s victory in these seats.

(With inputs from N. Sai Charan)