COIMBATORE: A self-proclaimed astrologer who has been elected as the people's representative from the Kavundampalayam Assembly constituency in Coimbatore district has triggered a social media storm of mockery that shows no signs of abating.
Kanimozhi Santhosh, the triumphant candidate from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), defeated her nearest rival from the AIADMK by a comfortable margin of 42,140 votes, ending the latter's hold on the seat since 2011.
At 37, Kanimozhi is a lawyer, granite-and-tiles entrepreneur, and social media influencer with a devoted online following. Touting herself as an astrologer, she had earlier made absurd claims of curing various diseases through "Medical Astrology," a field apparently capable of solving what modern medicine has struggled with for decades. She also claimed that astrology can decide when and whether a surgery can be performed on a patient.
In resurfaced videos now circulating across social media, Kanimozhi confidently asserted that cancer, infertility, obesity, and a host of other ailments could find solutions in the alignment of planets. The clips, which had briefly haunted her campaign, have returned with a vengeance, providing ammunition for critics who wonder whether the electorate consulted their birth charts before marking their votes.
The reaction online has been merciless, if predictably so. Memes, savage one-liners, and sarcastic calls for Kanimozhi to be appointed Health Minister of Tamil Nadu have flooded timelines. "Coimbatore already gets enough trolling for falling for emu farms, dubious online trading schemes, food festivals, and various other scams", lamented one local voter. "Now we've handed an astrologer the keys to the Assembly and made things infinitely worse." The remark captures the collective frustration of a region that feels it cannot catch a break from the trolling industrial complex.
Comparisons to other constituencies have only sharpened the mockery. While DMK's Dr V Gokilamani finished a distant third in nearby Avanashi, and even party supremo MK Stalin could only manage second place in Kolathur, Kavundampalayam opted for celestial remedies over conventional credentials.
TVK workers, meanwhile, have swung into full damage-control mode. Dubbed "Virtual Warriors," they are busily defending their candidate, issuing counter-narratives, and attempting to take down those videos from the internet, an exercise as futile as trying to wish away a bad planetary transit.
Critics argue that electing a representative who once peddled unproven medical claims reflects poorly not just on the winner, but on those who chose her with eyes presumably wide open. Whether Kanimozhi's tenure in the Assembly will be guided by legislative competence or lunar calendars remains to be seen. For now, the people of Kavundampalayam find themselves the unwilling butt of statewide and national jokes.
With 4.2 lakh voters, Kavundampalayam is the second largest Assembly constituency in the state after Sholinganallur in terms of total number of voters. Kanimozhi received 1,46,466 votes out of the 3,60,957 cast and won by a whopping margin of 42,140 votes.