Tamil Nadu 2026 assembly polls: Tiruppur's entrepreneurs disenchanted with DMK

Tiruppur: The textile hub of Tiruppur is unhappy with the DMK government and is likely to vote for the AIADMK-led NDA in this election as they believe that not much has been done for the sector, several industry associations and textile business owners told ET. Hit by the hike in prices for electricity, increased property taxes, inadequate waste management measures and no specific schemes that benefit the sector, anti-incumbency is strong among the small and medium businesses in Tiruppur.

"We are not favouring the DMK in this election at all," a former president of an industry association told ET. "They have not been business friendly and it has been difficult to keep our businesses afloat. They have hiked electricity costs significantly and MSMEs are facing a lot of crisis on that front alone. Even property tax has been increased without any regard for the prevailing situation. These are not measures that support industry."

AIADMK could also benefit from the goodwill that the BJP commands among the Tiruppur business community. Many, including the person cited above, believed that the central government had done a good job of navigating a challenging geopolitical environment.

"DMK has done nothing to help the industry through these tough times," a garment business owner, who did not wish to be named, said. "We are only enjoying the central government scheme. So, we are very clear that we will vote for the AIADMK because under them, things were definitely much better. It is not just business owners but even the workers who have been affected by these issues and are unsatisfied with the current regime."

BJP too seems to be aware of its clout among this votebank and has been steadfast in its outreach. During his visit to Tiruppur on April 10, BJP in charge for Tamil Nadu and union minister Piyush Goyal engaged with industry leaders to boost textile exports and promised a "mega textile hub" near the city under an NDA government.