Aruppukkottai in Virudhunagar district is a high-profile constituency currently represented by senior DMK leader KKSSR Ramachandran. In the 2021 Assembly elections, DMK’s K. KSSR Ramachandran won with 91,040 votes, defeating AIADMK’s Vaigaichelvan by a margin of 39,034 votes. In the 2016 Assembly elections, KKSSR Ramachandran of the DMK secured victory with 81,485 votes, defeating AIADMK’s Vaigaichelvan by 18,054 votes. In the 2011 Assembly elections, AIADMK’s Vaigaichelvan won the seat with 76,546 votes, defeating DMK’s KKSSR Ramachandran by a margin of 10,638 votes. Historically, the constituency has witnessed close competition between the two Dravidian parties. Since the 1977 elections, the AIADMK has won six times while the DMK has secured five victories. The 234-seat Assembly election in Tamil Nadu will see the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, take on the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and a resurgent BJP-led alliance. The campaign is centered around issues such as welfare schemes, law and order, and the broader debate between Dravidian political identity and national integration narratives. While the DMK government is highlighting its record on industrial growth and social justice, the opposition has targeted it over allegations of corruption and concerns about power shortages.
