CHENNAI: DMK’s Kerala unit has set its sights on Punalur constituency in Kerala’s Kollam for the 2026 assembly elections. Party leaders in Kerala said they were confident of winning the constituency, which has a significant Tamil population.
KR Murugesan, DMK’s Kerala state unit in-charge, said the party has been gaining popularity among the people in the state and they have plans to field candidates in the state’s local body elections expected later this year, which will act as a precursor for the assembly election next year. “Functionaries from other parties are willing to join DMK if we take the electoral plunge in Kerala,” he said.
The party runs units in all 14 districts of Kerala. Speaking to TNIE from Thiruvananthapuram, Murugesan said the party has appointed district secretaries and other functionaries in all the 14 districts. Except for Idukki, all the district secretaries are natives of Kerala. “Punalur is our stronghold. Anyone in Punalur will tell you how rapidly DMK is growing there. We are active in the area, holding at least one programme a week, whether it’s the birthday celebrations of Kalaignar Karunanidhi and MK Stalin or protests against the Punalur municipality over public grievances,” he said.
Murugesan wants to build a state office for DMK and install a statue of Karunanidhi in Thiruvananthapuram. As the areas under Punalur constituency, which shares the border with Tamil Nadu’s Tenkasi, have a significant Tamil-speaking population, mostly working-class, DMK has been able to rally and mobilise them effectively, sources said.
DMK Kollam district secretary S Rejiraj said, “It’s not just the Tamil-speaking population, Keralites are also inspired by the welfare schemes implemented by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.”
The DMK has ward-level branch units in Punalur municipality and seven village panchayats - Aryankavu, Thenmala, Kulathupuzha, Yeroor, Karavaloor, Anchal, and Edamulakkal.
In the 2024 cooperative society elections in Punalur, the DMK, contesting alone, came second, said party leaders. In the tight contest, LDF won, DMK came in second, pushing UDF to the third spot.
“To prove our strength in the district, we are planning to field candidates in the upcoming local body elections later this year, and eventually in the Punalur assembly constituency. We are waiting for the green signal from the party high command. Also, we need to secure the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol, which is currently allotted to others in Kerala,” said Rejiraj.
Punalur constituency is at present a CPI stronghold with the party winning here since 1996.