TIRUCHY: Despite the presence of two heavyweight ministers as candidates -- KN Nehru in Tiruchy West and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in Thiruverumbur -- DMK suffered a decisive setback in Tiruchy, losing 7 of the 9 constituencies, marking a sharp reversal from its 2021 sweep and exposing gaps between leadership presence and electoral conversion.
While Nehru retained Tiruchy West, his margin fell sharply to 4,786 votes from over 85,000 in 2021, indicating erosion even in a stronghold. He campaigned extensively across the constituency, but faced a sustained challenge from TVK, whose candidate led in the early rounds and remained competitive throughout. In Thiruverumbur, Poyyamozhi was defeated, with party insiders citing a combination of local dissatisfaction, overconfidence in organisational strength, and a failure to read shifting voter sentiment.
Across the district, DMK’s well-oiled booth machinery and cadre network did not deliver expected results. Functionaries said efforts under “Oraniyil Tamil Nadu,” including targeted booth consolidation and welfare outreach such as assistance with SIR-related processes, had created confidence within the party.
“We believed our groundwork would hold, but we misread the mood, especially among women and first-time voters. Even our loyal traditional supporters have shifted their allegiance to the new party,” said a functionary from Woraiyur.
Several insiders acknowledged that the growing appeal of TVK leader Vijay among younger voters and women was underestimated. “We only realised the shift after polling when we analysed with the form 17c give to our BLAs, however we were still confident of victory,” another functionary said.
Internal factors also appear to have played a role. Party sources cited dissatisfaction among sections of cadres and concerns over candidate selection in constituencies such as Musiri, Lalgudi and Srirangam, where relatively lesser-known nominees were fielded amid reported local-level differences. Campaign narratives targeting Nehru, including corruption allegations raised by opponents, were also seen by observers as having had a spillover effect beyond his constituency, though he denied the charges.
In Thiruverumbur, the defeat of Poyyamozhi who also serves as the DMK’s south district secretary covering parts of Tiruchy East was seen by party insiders as a result of internal miscalculations, weak ground-level feedback, and rising local dissatisfaction.