Often referred to as the southern gateway to Chennai, Tambaram is indeed a nerve centre. A transport hub, the most important commercial centre in this part of Chennai, serving as the centralised market for dozens of villages around it, Tambaram is truly a city outside the city.
For long, Tambaram had been the second largest Assembly constituency in Asia, next to Villivakkam, which too has shrunk this time after the delimitation. In 2006, there were 8.96 lakh eligible voters in Tambaram constituency, which stretched as far as from Thiruvanmiyur to Uthandi on East Coast Road, Perungudi to Sholinganallur on Rajiv Gandhi Salai and also included some pockets of Velachery.
After delimitation and creation of Velachery and Sholinganallur constituencies, the number of voters has now come down to 2.38 lakh. Apart from Tambaram Municipality, areas that come under this Assembly segment include Sembakkam, Chitlapakkam, Madambakkam, Perungalathur and Peerkankaranai Town Panchayats and Mudichur, Agaram Then, Madurapakkam and Tiruvanchery village panchayats. The constituency will have 253 polling booths.
Tambaram constituency was created in 1977 and Munu Adhi of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won that year. In the eight elections since 1977, DMK won six. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won in 1984 and the Congress in 1991. M.A.Vaidyalingam of the DMK has won on three occasions, including by a record margin of 1.13 lakh votes in 1996.
This time it will be a direct contest between incumbent MLA S. R. Raja of the DMK and T. K. M. Chinnaiah of the AIADMK. Mr. Raja has been Tambaram Municipal Chairman on two occasions. Mr.Chinnaiah recently quit as Tambaram Municipal Councillor. A former employee of the now defunct Standard Motors in Perungalathur, he became Municipal Councillor in 1986 at the age of 22. He contested unsuccessfully as Municipal Chairman in 1996. While the incumbent MLA seeking re-election is a familiar face in political circles, his opponent is viewed as a “grass roots level worker.” The AIADMK is contesting after a gap of 25 years. Ella Rajamanickam of the party contested successfully in 1984.
Mr. Raja rests on his achievements in the past five years. They include distribution of free land pattas and taking government scheme benefits to the people. Further, he points out to the massive road over bridge projects in Tambaram, Pallikaranai, Tambaram Sanatorium, widening of Mudichur Road, creation of electricity sub-stations in many places, commissioning of underground power supply cables, sewer projects in Tambaram, water supply improvement projects, creation of two more taluks at Alandur and Sholinganallur from the vast Tambaram Taluk and many others.
Mr. Chinnaiah said the absence of a proper bus terminus in Tambaram continued to cause all-round problems in the town. The absence of safe and protected drinking water supply in most areas was one issue the government had not given importance to. Further, other crucial projects were not being taken to rural local bodies, Mr. Chinnaiah said.
The size and electorate of the constituency might have come down drastically, but problems persist. Residents of both and East and West Tambaram are upset about the lack of a bus terminus. According to K. Mekala, a resident of Perungalathur, the slipshod manner in which the road over bridge to replace the railway level crossing near Tambaram railway station was constructed and the hurry in which it was inaugurated had not gone down well with the residents.
Aanai Panneerselvam of West Tambaram and convener of Makkal Maamandram said that housing and livelihood issues of several dozen families, especially living around water-bodies in Selaiyur, West Tambaram and Irumbuliyur were important issues in the current elections.
Residents also want a permanent end to flood-related problems during the monsoon. They said that though East Tambaram was the seat of school education, the prohibitive cost made it out of the reach of children from poor families. Upgrading government aided middle and high schools would go a long way in helping such families, said C.Purushothaman of East Tambaram.
Access to basic amenities in some pockets of Peerkankaranai and Agaram Then were not on satisfactory lines and there was need for tremendous improvement, said C.Sathya, a resident of Vengambakkam.
What they say
S.R.Raja, DMK candidate:
The distribution of pattas will be continued and small time vendors will be allotted shops. Narendra Place (13.76 acres) will be acquired for constructing a bus terminus at Tambaram, on the lines of CMBT, Koyambedu. I will take steps for extending Metro Rail to Rajiv Gandhi Salai via Tambaram and Medavakkam. Sewer projects would be extended to other urban pockets.
A road over bridge would be constructed at Perungalathur.
T.K.M.Chinnaiah, AIADMK candidate:
My priority is to implement projects to supply protected, safe drinking water to all village panchayats coming under St.Thomas Mount Panchayat Union. I will take steps for putting in place a good bus terminus at Tambaram. Importance will be given to ensure that residents have access to good quality of basic amenities. Solid waste management will be extended to all localities and executed on modern, scientific lines.
