 Radhakrishnan's past success had come from exploiting communal tensions caused by a bombing campaign in the area by the now-banned Islamic fundamentalist Al Ummah group but this was no longer a significant issue.Subbarayan had previously been elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from the Tiruppur constituency for the periods 1984-89 and 1996-2001.Tiruppur is Subbarayan's home town.