Arch rivals, DMK and AIADMK, are taking on each other directly for an eighth time in the elections to the Thanjavur Assembly segment, which remained with the DMK for most of the time.
Right from 1977, when the AIADMK established itself as a strong force to reckon with, the Thanjavur constituency has witnessed a direct contest between the two Dravidian majors in 1977, 1991, 1996, 2006, 2011 and 2016 (when the elections for this seat was countermanded and held later) elections and in 2019 by-elections. In these bouts for the Assembly seat between the two, the senior party DMK won it four times and the AIADMK thrice.
This time, the DMK has re-nominated sitting MLA T.K.G. Neelamegam and the AIADMK its Karanthai unit secretary V. Arivudainambi. Surprisingly the AMMK, which had fielded the former MLA M.Rengasamy as its candidate in the 2019 by-elections, has allocated the Thanjavur seat to its alliance partner Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam which has fielded S. Ramanathan as its candidate in the ‘murasu’ (drum) symbol.
R. Subadevi of NTK, G. Sundaramohan of MNM, S. Karikala Cholan of Nationalist Congress Party, A. Xavier of People’s Party of India (Secular) and five Independents are also in the fray.
Interestingly, this heritage town which had seen some infrastructure developments such as the new bus stand and creation of an underground sewage network in the extended areas along the Medical College Road, the Pudukottai Road and Nanjikottai Road still grapples with problems such as traffic congestion near the World Heritage Monument - the Big Temple, and in the old town area even on normal days.
Further, a rail over-bridge constructed at Santhapillai Gate area seems to have not served the purpose fully as the majority of the public transport traffic from Punnainallur Mariamman Temple side heads for the old town and they take the old Nagapattinam Road passing underneath the new ROB.
In the meantime, some of the projects taken up under the Smart Cities Mission initiative in the town has invited the wrath of a section of people living alongside the dilapidated moats in the town and a section of traders claimed to be affected by the remodelling of the civic body owned standalone commercial complexes and the old bus stand complex.
A move to set up multi-purpose centres with garbage segregation facility at 14 zones in the Corporation had also invited the wrath of traders and residential associations in the respective zones which had ultimately aggravated the garbage handling capacity of the civic body.
