It could be a tightrope walk for the DMK in Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha constituency, considered the "Detroit" of India due to presence of global auto majors, as it pitted against the six party BJP-led NDA alliance in the April 24 poll.
Though the Dravidian party has won here a whopping eight times since 1996, barring once in 1998 when AIADMK bagged it, formation of the alliance and DMK nominating former Union Minister S Jagathrakshakan to contest from the constituency is expected to result in a keen contest.
DMK leader A Krishnaswamy has been the consecutive winner in later elections and in 2009, T R Baalu won the seat.
However with several developments he made as Chairman of Railway Standing Committee in and around Thanjavur, DMK nominated him to contest the polls from that city and alloted Jagathrakshakan to Sriperumbudur.
What could work in favour of Jagathrakshakan is DMK's dominance in this constituency. However the fact this is his maiden contest from here, coupled with having to take on the BJP rainbow alliance could make it a tightrope walk for DMK.
Notable names among 39 candidates in the fray besides Jagathrakshakan, who emerged victorious in the Rajya Sabha elections from Arakonnam, are AIADMK's K N Ramachandran, Congress candidate and former MLA Arul Anbarasu, AAP nominee and journalist Vasigaran and Dr R Masilamani from MDMK, part of the BJP-led alliance.
