One of the most fertile belts in Tiruchi district, the Lalgudi constituency is bracing for yet another poll battle amid a myriad of issues concerning the farmers and the common man.
Depleting water table, inadequate civic amenities, rapid urbanisation with acres of lush green areas steadily turning into housing plots, and indiscriminate sand mining from the Coleroon river are some of the prominent issues in the constituency.
Notwithstanding its proximity to Tiruchi, industrial activity is virtually absent in the constituency dominated by farmers. With major political players having announced their respective nominees for the constituency, the stage is set for high-pitched battle this time too.
While contesting candidates have rolled up their sleeves setting out on the field to garner support with a set of promises, the electorate have their own wish lists with profound expectations that those would be fulfilled.
Reposing confidence in its MLA A. Soundarapandian, the DMK has retained him in the same seat where he won twice in a row — in 2006 and 2011. After a gap of 10 years, the AIADMK is back in the fray in the constituency by fielding M. Vijayamoorthy as its nominee. In the 2011 election, the AIADMK had given the seat to its then ally DMDK which lost the election.
The entry of M. Jayaseelan, a nominee of the CPI-M which is a part of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam — headed People’s Welfare Front has made it a multi-cornered fight.
While political parties make their own calculations based on caste, the support of new voters will be crucial in determining the outcome of the Assembly election.
In a constituency where “Udayars”, “Mutharayars”, and “Dalits” account for a sizeable chunk, the DMK and the AIADMK have played it safe fielding their nominees belonging to Udayar and Mutharayar communities respectively. The CPI(M) has fielded a Dalit candidate – a well-known face in Lalgudi — who had taken up key issues concerning the farmers and the common man.
Unfazed by multi-cornered contest, Mr. Soundarapandian says that he would drive home to the electorate the schemes implemented during the DMK regime in the constituency and what the party intended to execute in future.
Banking on the developmental schemes implemented in the last five years, AIADMK functionaries say they were leaving no stone unturned to woo the electorate so as to wrest the seat from the DMK after a decade. The DMK MLA had been accused of not improving the constituency in his two terms.
Well aware of public issues and one who is connected with the masses, Mr. Jayaseelan says his prime focus would be on the farm sector and on solving the problems faced by the agriculturists so as to stop people from shifting out of this profession. He accuses both Dravidian parties of not fulfilling the expectations of the electorate in the constituency all these years.
Representatives of farmers’ bodies want due importance to be accorded to agriculture in this fertile belt. Uninterrupted power supply is what farmer needs, say representatives of farmers associations.
The demand for opening a government cooperative sugar mill in Lalgudi to benefit cane growers is pending for long, says Ayilai Sivasuriyan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam.
A government cement factory and a cotton procurement centre in the arid Pullabadi area was a definite need of the hour to benefit cotton growers and providing employment opportunities, says P. Viswanathan, State president, Tamizhaga Eeri and Aatru Paasana Vivasayigal Sangam. Dredging of water bodies, construction of check dams at various points in the Coleroon and establishment of shutters at Koogur in the river would substantial improve water table thus benefitting farmers. Checking sand mining beyond permitted level is warranted in the present situation to save their livelihood, say farmers. Amid these expectations, the die is cast for an intense battle with both Dravidian parties working hard to bag the seat.
With People’s Welfare Front in the fray, a keen tussle is definitely on the cards.
Industrial activity is virtually absent in the constituency, dominated by farmers
