AVANASHI (Reserved)

Avanashi (SC) constituency in Tamil Nadu has seen significant infrastructure development between 2021 and 2026 under sitting MLA P. Dhanapal of AIADMK, though the DMK government at the state level drove most major projects. The most transformative initiative was the Athikadavu-Avinashi Project, a 67-year-old dream inaugurated in August 2024, which diverts 1.5 TMC of water to irrigate 24,468 acres and recharge 1,045 water bodies, benefiting approximately 50 lakh people across Erode, Tiruppur, and Coimbatore districts. In October 2025, the 10.1 km G.D. Naidu Elevated Corridor was inaugurated at a cost of ₹1,791 crore, reducing travel time between central Coimbatore and the airport from 45 minutes to under 10 minutes. The state government's Kalaignar Nagarpura Mempattu Thittam urban development scheme with ₹1,000 crore outlay addressed infrastructure gaps across municipalities and town panchayats. However, persistent civic issues have troubled residents throughout this period. Erratic drinking water supply, especially during summer months, remains a major grievance despite the Athikadavu-Avinashi project. Residents demand extension of the scheme to more water bodies. Waste management and sewage problems continue, with local bodies like Avinashi Municipality facing staff shortages that impact service delivery. Demands for improved bus transport to interior areas have also gone unaddressed. No major controversies, corruption allegations, or criminal cases involving MLA Dhanapal surfaced in available records during 2021-2026. The constituency faces a dramatically changed political landscape ahead of the 2026 elections scheduled for April 23. AIADMK, which held the seat continuously since 2001, has ceded it to BJP as part of their NDA alliance, fielding Union Minister L. Murugan. This marks a significant shift from the comfortable 50,902-vote margin (24.21%) that Dhanapal won by in 2021. The contest now involves DMK's 28-year-old government doctor V. Gokilamani, actor Vijay's TVK party candidate S. Kamali, and NTK's V. Menaka, creating a multi-cornered battle in what was once an AIADMK stronghold. Voters should weigh the major infrastructure achievements against persistent civic issues like water supply and waste management, while considering how the new political equations and candidate profiles align with local needs in this reserved SC constituency where the Arunthathiyar community forms a dominant voting bloc.