DMK’s chief ministerial face MK Stalin has registered his seventh victory in Tamil Nadu Assembly elections with a win from the Kolathur constituency. With this third consecutive win in Kolathur, Stalin has continued his grip on the constituency since it was carved out in 2011. As of 5 pm, he was leading against AIADMK’s Adhi Rajaram by a margin of 22,000 votes.
Before this, Stalin and Adhi Rajaram had faced off in 2006 when the two contested from the Thousand Lights constituency. Their last electoral battle had been a close one with Stalin winning Thousand Lights with a margin of 2,468 votes to enter the 16th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Kolathur, in north-west Chennai was carved out in 2011 after the delimitation of constituencies process in 2008. Kolathur was formed with parts of Purasawalkam and Villivakkam Assembly segments and is situated in Chennai North Lok Sabha Constituency. The constituency has a mix of fairly well developed commercial and residential segments along with industrial areas.
Stalin will enter the Tamil Nadu Assembly for the seventh time. He has earlier won the Thousand Lights assembly seat four times — in 1989, 1996, 2001 and 2006. Apart from having served as Chennai’s Mayor between 1996-2001, Stalin has served as Minister for Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj his father, M Karunanidhi’s government between 2006-2011, and as Deputy Chief Minister between 2009 to 2011.
Stalin was DMK’s Youth Wing Secretary for 47 years, between 1982 to 2019 when his son Udhayanidhi took over the post. In 2008, he also served as DMK’s Treasurer. Stalin became DMK President in 2018 after his father’s demise.
His main opponent, AIADMK’s Adhi Rajaram is an old-timer in the party. He was Chairman and Managing Director for Tamilnadu Fisheries Development Corporation between 1994-1996, Chairman of Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation between 2004-08 and
Chairman of Tamilnadu Industrial Investment Corporationin 2014-16 . He has held several party positions including being District Secretary as well as incharge of Nilgiris, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruvallur and Vellore
Stalin’s Kolathur campaign had been centred around creating more jobs in the constituency and the achievements of the Anitha Achievers Academy which he started after the suicide of student S Anitha. The academy reportedly has coached students from economically backward families in vocations like tailoring and also computer software, free of cost.
Meanwhile Rajaram’s campaign sought to highlight the alleged lack of infrastructure in the constituency and also spoke extensively of the AIADMK’s welfare schemes.