Annamalai likely to lose Coimbatore, says 'will give you surprise on June 4'

Tamil Nadu's second-largest city, Coimbatore, is witnessing a clash of titans in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as the BJP has fielded its firebrand leader and state unit chief K Annamalai against former city Mayor and DMK candidate P Ganapaty Rajkumar, and Singai G Ramachandran of the AIADMK.

The Axis My India exit poll prediction suggests a win for the opposition-led INDIA bloc with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate P Ganapaty Rajkumar securing the Coimbatore Lok Sabha polls with a comfortable margin.

Meanwhile, Annamalai rejected the prediction and exuded confidence of winning the seat. Speaking to India Today, the BJP candidate said, "We would love to give you a pleasant surprise on June 4 and we should win comfortably. The larger picture is that Modi ji has to come back with a big mandate".

PM Modi recently conducted a mega roadshow in the region and addressed a spirited campaign rally, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, too, showcased formidable strength during a massive rally, bolstering the presence of the Opposition-led INDIA bloc in the south cetadel.

The seat is currently held by CPM leader PR Natarajan, who contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the DMK and the Congress. Natarajan bagged the seat with 45.85 per cent of votes, while BJP's CP Radhakrishnan was the nearest contender with 31.47 per cent of votes.

Interestingly, Coimbatore is one of the few Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu where the BJP has pinned its hope for a successful electoral run.

In 1998 and 1999, the BJP clinched victory in this constituency, forming an alliance with the AIADMK. However, the political landscape shifted in the last four elections, with the Left securing Coimbatore thrice - in 2004, 2009, and 2019. From 2014 to 2019, the AIADMK successfully maintained control over this seat.