Chennai, Mar 13 (IANS): Tamil Nadu state transport minister and AIADMK leader M.R. Vijayabhaskar is facing a tough battle in the Karur assembly constituency against DMK Karur district secretary and former minister V. Senthil Balaji, the sitting MLA from Aruvarakuruchi constituency.

Balaji was the AIADMK Karur district secretary and had resigned from the party following a rift with TTV Dhinakaran when the latter was controlling AIADMK.

He was the AIADMK MLA from Karur constituency in 2006 and 2011 and was made transport minister.

Balaji joined DMK and is presently the acting secretary of the Karur district secretary of the party.

Transport minister Vijayabhaskar, while speaking to IANS, said, "I have done several development projects in the constituency and a victory is certain. I dona't find any threat in this constituency and the AIADMK is winning easily here."

Both Balaji and MR Vijayabhaskar were colleagues in the AIADMK but were perceived to be staunch rivals. Balaji contested the by-elections to Aruvarakuruchi in 2019 and won the seat.

With old colleagues turned foes locking horns at the Karur seat, sparks will fly. Political analyst and senior journalist Senthilnathan told IANS,"Elections at Karur will be tough as both Senthil Balaji and Vijayabhaskar had a rift while they were together in AIADMK and it is continuing till now. It is to be noted that both have won from this seat and are popular leaders. However the AIADMK candidate has a slight edge and in days to come there can be changes in that perception."

As Karur goes to polls with the rest of Tamil Nadu on April 6, it is to be seen who will get elected from this seat which is a bastion for both the leaders.