COIMBATORE: In a nail-biting finish to one of the state’s most closely watched contests, DMK candidate V Senthil Balaji emerged victorious in the Coimbatore South constituency on Monday. After a tense 20 rounds of counting, Balaji secured his seat with a final margin of 1,991 votes.The debutant Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) provided a formidable challenge, with its candidate V Senthilkumar nearly pulling off an upset by securing a massive 57,176 votes.
AIADMK, which previously held strong influence in the region, saw its candidate Amman Arjunan finish third with 31,236 votes, while the NTK candidate Perarivalan garnered 5,017 votes.After Round 20 V. Senthil Balaji (DMK) 59,167V Senthilkumar (TVK) 57,176 Amman Arjunan (AIADMK) 31,236 Perarivalan (NTK) 5,017This victory marks a significant personal and political comeback for Senthil Balaji, who successfully defended the DMK’s interests in a traditionally difficult urban terrain against a surging third-party challenge.
