Personal capital vs welfare pitch: Poll focus on Chennai’s Royapuram
Royapuram in Chennai is shaping up as a high-stakes electoral battleground, with AIADMK’s D Jayakumar relying on his personal connect and long-standing goodwill among voters. His campaign, marked by cultural symbolism and welfare promises such as free refrigerators, underscores his accessibility and grassroots rapport. The DMK, meanwhile, is pitching its governance record and welfare schemes under the “Stalin model,” while working to consolidate its strong minority vote base, particularly among Muslim voters. Its candidate, Subair Khan, is seeking to widen his appeal through symbolic outreach across communities. While Muslim men largely appear to favour the DMK, voting preferences among Muslim women remain less clear, potentially making them a decisive factor. Jayakumar faces the challenge of regaining minority trust after a shift towards the DMK in 2021, while the ruling party must contend with some anti-incumbency against its previous MLA.
