Going hammer and tongs at each other in the heart of the city are the arch rivals in the high-profile Madurai Central constituency — the ruling DMK and AIADMK. At the core is the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, a hub of religious tourism, which draws devotees from across the country. The area is also a trading hub. But despite its religious and cultural status, it remains a congested, poorly maintained area, with a maze of narrow streets and civic amenities stretched to the limits.
Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, the DMK candidate and incumbent MLA, is overseas-educated, a former investment banker-turned-politician, the current Minister for IT in Tamil Nadu, and had previously served as the State’s Finance Minister. He is a three-time MLA and hopes to make a comeback.
PTR, building on his background in the corporate sector, goes by the numbers. Since his first stint as an elected representative in 2016, he has published updates on the work done in the constituency every six months. PTR’s rival, Sundar C, a movie director and actor, is testing the waters as a new entrant to politics. Sundar C is part of the Puthiya Needhi Katchi (PNK) floated by AC Shanmugham. The party is part of the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, along with the BJP. Its candidates are contesting under the AIADMK’s two-leaves symbol.
Sundar C is part of the Puthiya Needhi Katchi (PNK) floated by AC Shanmugham
Unique style
When PTR started his campaign trail from South Masi Street on Thursday evening, traffic was choked as commuters were heading home. Policemen were harried as they managed enthusiastic DMK supporters waiting for their leader while also keeping the road clear for traffic. PTR reached the rally point, made his way to a statue of Pon Muthuramalinga Thevar, a legendary leader of the Thevar community, and garlanded the statue before starting his campaign trail.
The support for the DMK is obvious. Selvam, a taxi driver in the city, said confidently that the DMK would make it this time too. Madurai Central has emerged as a stronghold of the DMK since 2016 when PTR first won. The talk at tea shops is that the ruling party and incumbent MLA have a clear edge.
Earlier in the day, after a round of the constituency, PTR addressed newspersons at his residence on a controversy sparked by Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister, on the metro rail for Madurai. The BJP-led central government has not cleared the project. The population is not big enough, apart from technical issues, the BJP has claimed, said PTR.
The face-off
“I will explain to you all why the Assembly elections is a Tamil Nadu vs Delhi fight as our Chief Minister MK Stalin had put it,” said PTR. Whether it is the education sector, adopting the two- or three-language formula or large infrastructure projects, the Centre has adopted a stepmotherly attitude towards Tamil Nadu. The BJP is “weaponising public funds” and denying the State’s legitimate needs as a bargaining point to come to power, he charged.
Over the weekend, Fadnavis had campaigned in the Madurai South constituency for BJP candidate Raama Selvaraj. He had assured the city would get a metro rail project if the candidate wins — a statement that garnered the wrath of DMK supporters. “How is it that a project that the Centre has struck down on technical and other grounds be cleared if a BJP candidate wins,” wondered PTR.
“How can the BJP at the Centre hold people to ransom and say a project will be approved if they come to power,” he asked. Even in terms of share of taxes from the Centre and grants in aid, in 2014, for every ₹1 that Tamil Nadu got, UP got ₹2.90. In 2024, UP got ₹4.30 for every ₹1 that we got, he said.
Once in power, the DMK works for the welfare of people not just its own vote base. Every development and welfare measure is available for those who need them, he assures. However, the BJP leaders are saying development will happen if they come to power, he alleged.
The challenger
Sundar C is a lot more aggressive and directly targets the DMK and his rival in the constituency. Just before starting the campaign trail for the day, he made no bones about being a novice. “But I am a candidate fighting under the well-known two-leaves symbol and an ally of the BJP,” he points out. Sundar C’s wife, actor Khushbu Sundar, is the Tamil Nadu State Vice-President of the BJP and is also campaigning in Madurai.
He claims Madurai has been neglected. Look at the condition of the constituency, Madurai overall have been dubbed the third waste-ridden city in surveys, he said. “I want to address the basic issues — waste management, road infrastructure and drainage infrastructure. Improve the quality of life of the common person,” he said in chat with businessline.
On the campaign trail later in the evening at Mehboobpalayam, a Muslim-dominated area, crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of Sundar C. He accused the DMK of inaction, drawing cheers from the crowd. One of the residents in the area, waiting in the traffic, pointed to the crowd and laughed. People will gather to catch a glimpse of a movie star. But the minority community will vote only for the DMK, he says. He does not want his name to be mentioned, but insists that the DMK’s support for the minority communities is a given and vice-versa.
Published on April 10, 2026