The Gobichettipalayam Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu is set for a high-stakes contest as veteran leader K A Sengottaiyan seeks to retain his stronghold, this time on a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ticket. Having held this seat continuously since 2006, Sengottaiyan's switch from AIADMK to TVK led by Vijay will make this election an interesting one to watch, given that it will be interesting to see how personal power influences voter behavior more than party loyalty in this politically sensitive Kongu belt constituency.
He faces a tough multi-cornered battle, with V B Prabhu representing the AIADMK, N Nallasivam from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and M K Seethalakshmi of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
It must be noted here that the constituency of Gobichettipalayam, which is part of the Kongu region, is well known for its elections being heavily dependent on caste unity amongst the Kongu groups, along with farmers' and traders' issues. Issues such as agriculture, irrigation, water security, and leadership credibility are expected to play a decisive role.
Key candidates
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Congress, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) are the main parties in the state. The key candidates for the Gobichettipalayam seat are DMK candidate N Nallasivam, AIADMK's VB Prabhu, TVK leader KA Sengottaiyan, and NTK's MK Seethalakshmi, among others.
Gobichettipalayam Assembly constituency
The Gobichettipalayam Assembly constituency is one of the 234 constituencies in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. It is constituency number 106 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The constituency is a general seat and is not reserved for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
The Gobichettipalayam Assembly constituency comes under the Erode Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2021 assembly polls, KA Sengottaiyan of the AIADMK won the seat by defeating GV Manimaran of the DMK.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, A Ganeshamurthi of the DMK won from the Erode Lok Sabha seat by defeating the AIADMK candidate.
Gobichettipalayam Constituency Demographic Profile
As per data from the Election Commission, there were 2,56,363 voters in the Gobichettipalayam constituency during the 2021 Assembly Elections. Out of this, 1,23,299 were male, and 1,33,058 were female voters. Six voter who belonged to the third gender. 2,878 postal votes were cast in the constituency. The number of service voters in Gobichettipalayam in 2021 was 27 (26 men and 1 woman).
In 2016, the total number of voters in the Gobichettipalayam constituency was 2,45,893. Out of this, 1,18,496 voters were male, 1,27,397 were female, and zero belonged to a third gender. There were 1,604 postal votes in the constituency. The number of service voters in Gobichettipalayam in 2016 was 43 (27 men and 16 women).
What happened in the 2021 and 2016 Assembly Elections?
In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate Sengottaiyan KA won the Gobichettipalayam seat with a margin of 28,563 votes (13.4%). He polled 1,08,608 votes with a vote share of 50.68%. He defeated Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate Manimaran GV, who got 80,045 votes with a vote share of 37.36%. Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate Seethalakshmi MK stood third with 11,719 votes (5.47%).
In the 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate Sengottaiyan KA won the Gobichettipalayam seat with a margin of 11,223 votes (5.48%). He polled 96,177 votes with a vote share of 47%. He defeated Congress candidate Saravanan SV, who got 84,954 votes with a vote share of 41.52%. CPM candidate Munusamy M stood third with 7,531 votes (3.68%).
