The high-profile Lawspet constituency is set to witness a tough fight in the May 16 Assembly elections as the focus is on the rebel factor in the ruling All India NR Congress (AINRC).
Candidates of major parties – Nandha T. Saravanan of the AINRC, V.P. Sivakozhundu of the Congress, sitting MLA M. Vaithianathan who is contesting as an Independent, V. Saminathan of the BJP, G. Anbanandam of the AIADMK and A. Anand of the CPI (M) will be locking horns in the constituency, which has been a stronghold of the Congress.
Both Mr. Vaithianathan and Mr. Saravanan are sitting MLAs. While the former is contesting as an Independent, Mr. Saravanan has shifted from Muthialpet to Lawspet and is contesting on an AINRC ticket.
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Whether the Congress will be able to wrest the constituency is the question uppermost in the minds of poll observers. On most of the occasions, Lawspet has been won by the Congress, while the DMK and AIADMK had alternately annexed the segments in the 1974 and 1977 elections.
In the last Assembly polls, AINRC, a breakaway group of the Congress, wrested the seat from the Congress as the AINRC nominee M. Vaithianathan, who is now contesting as an Independent, had wrested the seat from the Congress nomine V.P. Sivakozhundu.
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However, Mr. Vaithianathan has been denied ticket by the AINRC in the elections and he has jumped into the fray as an Independent candidate. In all probability, the Lawspet constituency would witness a fight between Mr. Sivakozhundu of Congress and Mr. Vaithianathan.
Mr. Vaithianathan said that he was confident that he would emerge victorious in the elections. “I am easily accessible and have fulfilled all major development works in the constituency.”
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Sivakozhundu said, “Despite losing the 2011 elections I have been in constant touch with the people and fulfilled development works including laying of roads and opened new community centres under the funds sanctioned by former Union Minister of State V. Narayanasamy under the MPLAD scheme.” Mr. Sivakozhundu said that he has plans to develop Lawspet as a model constituency by providing all basic amenities.
Outsider tag
Mr. Saravanan who contested from Muthialpet on a DMK ticket in the 2011 elections is now being fielded by the AINRC in Lawspet. But there is a general feeling that the local contestants will have an advantage since Mr. Saravanan is deemed to be an outsider.
V. Saminathan, the president of the Puducherry unit of the BJP and a businessman is also in the fray. In the history of the Territorial Assembly, the BJP had made it only once to the Assembly in the 2001 polls but in the subsequent polls, its MLA shifted allegiance. Hoping to make its presence felt in the coming polls, the entire party machinery is concentrating in Lawspet.
Mr. Vaithianathan, Mr. Sivakozhundu and Mr. Saminathan of the BJP belong to the Mudaliar community which is the dominant segment in the constituency.
Politically vibrant
Lawspet has been a politically vibrant constituency all along because the late M.O.H. Farook, who contested from here in the elections held in 1974, 1980, 1985 and 1990, had either been the Chief Minister or a powerful leader in the Opposition.
Veteran politician P. Kannan had also contested from Lawspet in 1991 and became Speaker of the Legislative Assembly when Congress formed the Government.
This constituency is among the important segments where voters belonging to different social strata would decide the fate of the political party and its candidates.
The constituency comprises areas such as Jeevandapuram, Kurunji Nagar, Navarkulam, Pethuchettipet and Ashok Nagar and has a large number of educational institutions.
The electorate constitutes a considerable number of Government employees, businessmen, handloom weavers and those belonging to upper and middle income groups. It would be a strenuous effort for the contestants to prove their acceptance in this segment.