NOTA to be Kumbakonam’s choice in 2026 Assembly polls

TIRUCHY: Disappointed after the unfulfilled poll promise of a separate Kumbakonam revenue district, the traders' bodies and struggle committee have decided to campaign for NOTA in the upcoming Assembly polls, claiming that the DMK has not reciprocated their unconditional support, favouring the party in every election.

The bifurcation of Kumbakonam revenue district from Thanjavur was a long-pending demand of the people from Kumbakonam, the temple town as well as a commercial hub of the rather agrarian Delta region.

They have been holding several protests, and the traders from the region had downed shutters in support of the protest.

During the 2021 Assembly polls, the Chief Minister MK Stalin, during his election campaign, promised the people of creating a new revenue district with Kumbakonam as its headquarters within 100 days of forming the government.

“Almost the five-year tenure is nearing completion, and not even a single stone has been moved, and we are dejected. We have lost hope as there is an unusual delay in announcement from the DMK government,” V Sathyanarayanan, Secretary, Federation of All Traders Associations of Kumbakonam, told DT Next.

The federation was leading the protest along with the Kumbakonam District Struggle Committee, which has almost organised more than 100 protests in the past four years demanding that the DMK government fulfil the poll promise. The new district was to be formed with the Revenue divisions of Kumbakonam, Papanasam and Tiruvidaimarudur.

Sathyanarayanan pointed out that they had staged protests in every panchayat in Kumbakonam, and there was massive support from the people of Kumbakonam, which has every aspect to be made a separate revenue district.

“Kumbakonam was even one of the headquarters during the Chola period. We have several infrastructures, including an office for the Superintendent of Police. What else the government needs is to just make an announcement and commence the work, and this would instil hope among all of us,” he said.

He also said that the Kumbakonam people always backed the DMK during every election. “Since our unconditional support to DMK, the previous AIADMK government failed to announce the bifurcation of Kumbakonam from Thanjavur,” he claimed.

He further said that there are 7.82 lakh voters in Kumbakonam, Papanasam and Tiruvidaimarudur assembly segments.

“This time, the issue would have a huge impact during the election, and we have decided to campaign for NOTA to register our opposition against the DMK government,” Sathyanarayanan said.

Meanwhile, former DMK MLA Kuttalam P Kalyanam, who has been playing a connecting point with the government on the issue, told DT Next that there is a peculiarity in the formation of the Kumbakonam revenue district. “Instead of bifurcating, it needs trifurcation,” he said.

Accordingly, the three Assembly segments of Thanjavur, Orathanadu and Tiruvaiyaru can make up Thanjavur district, while Kumbakonam district can be formed with Kumbakonam, Papanasam and Tiruvidaimaruthur segments, and Pattukottai district can comprise Pattukottai, Peravurani and Mannargudi (from Tiruvarur district) assembly segments,” he said.

“As per norms, at least 200 revenue villages should be there for a separate district, and Kumbakonam with three assembly segments has more than 300 revenue villages. Since the trifurcation, the Thanjavur district Collector has been working on it by negotiating with Mannargudi, which is beyond his control. However, the government can announce it at any point of time,” Kalyanam assured.