The AIADMK, which contested directly in Coonoor constituency in the Nilgiris district after 25 years, has grabbed the seat, considered to be a DMK stronghold for long.
AIADMK had won the seat in 1991, but in the subsequent assembly elections the party allotted the seat to its allies because of it large DMK support base. Except for the 2001 poll, wherein AIADMK ally TMC won the seat, DMK had always been holding Coonoor as its bastion.
Denial of ticket to the sitting DMK MLA, K Ramachandran, by the party, had been an issue with his supporters and a section of people in the constituency, which also worked in favour of Ramu.
The candidate, A Ramu, alias 'Shanthi' A Ramu, polled 61,650 votes while the DMK candidate B M Mubarak garnered 57,940. Mubarak won the 1996 election from the Gudalur constituency and went on to become the party's chief whip in the state assembly between 1997 and 2001.
Ramu, hailing from the predominant badaga community in the Nilgiris and a first time MLA candidate, joined AIADMK in 2014 after shifting loyalty from DMDK. One of the reasons behind Ramu's victory could be the support of the badaga community, who comprise 50 per cent of the voters.
Other factors could be that the supporters of the sitting DMK MLA and a faction of badaga community were not happy with the choice of the candidate. Also, support for AIADMK was growing. "This shows the growing support to the AIADMK as Amma has done so many things to the constituency though the sitting MLA belonged to DMK," said an AIADMK cadre.
The Coonoor constituency, considered prestigious as it comprises the Kodanadu panchayat, is witnessing an AIADMK MLA this time. In the 2011 election, the constituency was allotted to AIADMK's alliance partner.
The constituency being a reserved one since 1977, witnessed AIADMK MLAs in 1984 and 1991. While M Sivakumar won the election in 1984 on behalf of AIADMK, in 1991, M Karuppusamy was elected as its AIADMK MLA. The constituency was declared general in 2011 and K Ramachandran of DMK won the seat.
Ramu may be a surprise choice for Coonoor as he joined the party only in 2014. A decade ago, he joined the DMDK and held a state level post in the planters' wing in the party and went on to become the Nilgiris district secretary of DMDK in 2013. However, in 2014 during the Lok Sabha election he shifted loyalty to the AIADMK.
As far as the Coonoor constituency is concerned, from fluctuating tea prices to scarcity of drinking water and bad roads, all is not rosy in Coonoor. The constituency comprises around 147 badaga villages besides Coonoor, Kotagiri towns and many colonies.
AIADMK had won the seat in 1991, but in the subsequent assembly elections the party allotted the seat to its allies because of it large DMK support base. Except for the 2001 poll, wherein AIADMK ally TMC won the seat, DMK had always been holding Coonoor as its bastion.
Denial of ticket to the sitting DMK MLA, K Ramachandran, by the party, had been an issue with his supporters and a section of people in the constituency, which also worked in favour of Ramu.
The candidate, A Ramu, alias 'Shanthi' A Ramu, polled 61,650 votes while the DMK candidate B M Mubarak garnered 57,940. Mubarak won the 1996 election from the Gudalur constituency and went on to become the party's chief whip in the state assembly between 1997 and 2001.
Ramu, hailing from the predominant badaga community in the Nilgiris and a first time MLA candidate, joined AIADMK in 2014 after shifting loyalty from DMDK. One of the reasons behind Ramu's victory could be the support of the badaga community, who comprise 50 per cent of the voters.
Other factors could be that the supporters of the sitting DMK MLA and a faction of badaga community were not happy with the choice of the candidate. Also, support for AIADMK was growing. "This shows the growing support to the AIADMK as Amma has done so many things to the constituency though the sitting MLA belonged to DMK," said an AIADMK cadre.
The Coonoor constituency, considered prestigious as it comprises the Kodanadu panchayat, is witnessing an AIADMK MLA this time. In the 2011 election, the constituency was allotted to AIADMK's alliance partner.
The constituency being a reserved one since 1977, witnessed AIADMK MLAs in 1984 and 1991. While M Sivakumar won the election in 1984 on behalf of AIADMK, in 1991, M Karuppusamy was elected as its AIADMK MLA. The constituency was declared general in 2011 and K Ramachandran of DMK won the seat.
Ramu may be a surprise choice for Coonoor as he joined the party only in 2014. A decade ago, he joined the DMDK and held a state level post in the planters' wing in the party and went on to become the Nilgiris district secretary of DMDK in 2013. However, in 2014 during the Lok Sabha election he shifted loyalty to the AIADMK.
As far as the Coonoor constituency is concerned, from fluctuating tea prices to scarcity of drinking water and bad roads, all is not rosy in Coonoor. The constituency comprises around 147 badaga villages besides Coonoor, Kotagiri towns and many colonies.