Sengottaiyan retains Gobichettipalayam for fifth time

Erode: K A Sengottaiyan on Monday recorded his fifth consecutive victory in Gobichettipalayam assembly constituency, where he defeated DMK's N Nallasivam by 16,620 votes. Sengottaiyan, who tasted his 10th victory in his political career, polled 82,612 votes, indicating that his personal influence remains intact despite his shift from AIADMK to TVK. Nallasivam came second with 65,992 votes, while AIADMK's V B Prabhu finished third with 56,232 votes. NTK's M K Seethalakshmi could bag only 8,137 votes.In 2021, Sengottaiyan, who contested on AIADMK ticket, secured 1,08,608 votes in the constituency and defeated DMK's G V Manimaran by 28,563 votes. In 2016, he polled 96,177 votes and beat INC's S V Saravanan by a margin of 11,223 votes. A major reason cited for Sengottaiyan's sustained success is his ability to build deep personal loyalty among voters, while maintaining a strong local political network. "Over the years, he has turned Gobichettipalayam into a dependable base by focusing on development, agricultural concerns and constituency-level visibility," said Poomozhi, a political analyst. Sengottaiyan's transition to TVK was framed not as a break from his past but as an evolution of it, as he positioned himself as an experienced leader with a proven record while aligning with the momentum and novelty associated with Vijay's political project, he said. "This combination seems to have helped him preserve his traditional support base and made him appealing to the voters seeking a new alternative." TVK functionaries attributed Sengottaiyan's success to his adaptability and constituency connection. One party district organizer described him as a leader whose bond with Gobichettipalayam voters remained unshaken and argued that his move to TVK had only widened his appeal. For Sengottaiyan, it's a personal milestone, underlining a decade-spanning command over local politics. For TVK, it's a validation of the party's strategy of bringing in established leaders with tested electoral strength.