Though there are 10 Assembly seats in the district, Madurai Central constituency has always been considered “prestigious”. From V. Sankaran, who contested successfully on a Indian National Congress ticket in the erstwhile Madras State in 1957 and 1962, the constituency has sent candidates fielded by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam to the Assembly, as ruling party members or members of their allies.
Spread over 20 wards in Madurai Corporation and a portion of South taluk, the constituency has a number of landmarks, but one among them – the world famous Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple – would be sufficient to identify the constituency, according to a cross section of voters.
Anybody who wins from this constituency would deem it the “blessing” of Goddess Meenakshi, or rather a “divine” order, to serve the people of Madurai, said Prof. Rengarajan, who lives in Krishnarayar Agraharam coming under the constituency.
It was a pride to represent a seat which drew people from all over the globe, he added.
Interestingly, the constituency has a mix of castes and communities. In fact, two Muslims – M.A. Hakeem (TMC) and Ghouse Batcha (DMK) – had been elected in from this constituency.
However, the constituency lacks even basic amenities. A classic case is the shabby condition of the public park and urinal near Meenakshi temple.
With a voter population of a little over two lakh, the constituency plunged into a severe drinking water problem. Neither the garbage removal is done in a systematic manner, nor the pollution caused by various factors is addressed. The burgeoning traffic problems has not been solved and people find no space for parking vehicles in busy commercial zones.
The DMK has fielded P.T.R.P. Thiagarajan, 49, son of former Assembly Speaker P.T.R. Palanivelrajan, who is a highly educated person, with rich work experience in multinational companies for over two decades. Mr. Thiagarajan, who started door-to-door campaign on April 25 after filing nomination, is confident of winning hands down.
Speaking to The Hindu during his campaign, he said that people accorded rousing reception adequately signalled they were looking for a change. “I tell them, I have come here to serve society... Hope, the citizens of this temple city would not have forgotten the works done by my father during the earlier regime of the DMK. I have come here with a single point agenda: ‘To carry on the good works that were left unfinished by my father’.”
Brushing aside remarks that he was an outsider, he said that he was not a stranger to Madurai as he studied in Vikaasa School in Ponnagaram. “I used to spend a lot of time on the streets of Madurai during schooldays and regularly visit Sri Meenakshi Temple with my family,” he added.
“Under the guidance of party seniors and the rank and file, I am optimistic of bringing in not only basic needs to the people, but also establishing infrastructure. Giving freebies is not enough… The DMK alone had created infrastructure here,” he told the people during the campaign.
The AIADMK, which has fielded its candidate Jayapal, also an educated person, too is sure of victory. Minister Sellur K. Raju is confident that the welfare measures extended to the BPL category and senior citizens were enough to ensure the party’s victory. The party is confident of winning the seat on the back of party general secretary Jayalalithaa’s popularity and the works done in the last five years.
Apart from the two major parties, there are others, including the BJP, People’s Welfare Front and the SDPI, trying their luck from this constituency. However, the fight looks like one between the two major Dravidian parties.
An AIADMK functionary, preferring anonymity, said that in 2011, the Central constituency was allotted to the then ally DMDK, which fielded R. Sundararajan. Though he claimed to have spent all his MLA constituency development fund, there is a strong allegation that he never visited the constituency. With the advantage of his late father’s goodwill, Mr. Thiagarajan seems to be comfortably positioned.
Will the constituency retain the popular sentiment that whichever party wins the seat will form the government is to be seen.
