The deep south of Tamil Nadu, especially the areas bordering Kerala, has repeatedly shown a preference for the national parties, the Congress, the CPI(M) and the BJP, over the Dravidian parties in the State. Unlike in 2006, the Congress and the CPI(M) are on different sides now, and this could be an important factor in the districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.
Both Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari, which let down the AIADMK in the 2006 Assembly polls, may this time support the candidates of Opposition parties to a greater extent, thanks to a range of factors, including power cut, inflation, spiralling prices of construction materials and consequent unemployment of labourers, corruption charges and law and order.
The Tirunelveli district, being represented by six DMK MLAs, three Congress MLAs, one MDMK and AIADMK MLA each, now has only 10 Assembly segments thanks to the delimitation exercise that consumed the Cheranmahadevi segment. The change of boundaries of the constituencies has naturally modified the caste configuration of each constituency, forcing the political parties to field the candidates from the communities having sizable presence in the respective constituency.
Though the DMK could highlight during its electioneering that it had fulfilled most of the 2006 poll promises, the party's assurances on many fronts still remain unfulfilled. The Southern Cooperative Spinning Mill at Pettai that provided livelihood to over 3,000 persons after being established during the Kamaraj regime has not been revived after its closure by the AIADMK government during 2001-06.
Minister T.P.M. Mohideen Khan, who was elected to the Assembly in 2006 by a whopping margin of 41,299 votes, has been fielded at Palayamkottai, where he takes on V. Palani of CPI (M); the DMK men are very confident of his re-election. However, his Cabinet colleague Poongothai Aladi Aruna, will face a tougher fight in Alangulam as some of her party men and the allies are not extending wholehearted cooperation.
Speaker R. Avudaiyappan, seeking re-election from Ambasamudram, is facing AIADMK's Esakki Subbiah, a businessman having a stronghold in the constituency. Actor-cum-politician and founder president of Akhila India Samaththhuva Makkal Katchi R. Sarathkumar takes on DMK district secretary V. Karuppasamy Pandian at Tenkasi. Former AIADMK Minister and sitting MLA C. Karuppasamy may this time suffer a shock at Sankarankovil (Reserved) segment, where Vaiko's MDMK has a strong presence.
Tuticorin district, having the capacity of becoming a southern industrial hub with the harbour and thermal power plant forming the backbone of industrial activities, has not witnessed a growth to match its potential since adequate infrastructure has not been developed.
Immediately after winning the polls in 2006, Tuticorin MLA and Minister P. Geetha Jeevan announced that all residents in her constituency would get drinking water every alternate day with the completion of the third pipeline from Vallanaadu and by strengthening the existing distribution system. However, no concrete measure was taken to augment the quantity of water being drawn from Vallanaadu pumping station and the assurance remains on paper.
The State Government's promise that the Tuticorin – Madurai National Highway would be converted into an ‘Industrial Corridor' by attracting heavy industries on this dry stretch has not materialised. Realtors are the beneficiaries by this announcement, who managed to sell the otherwise unwanted barren land at premium prices.
The Minister, who has been fielded in Tuticorin again, may face the wrath of voters due to frequent power cuts, poor infrastructure and inadequate drinking water supply.
Puthiya Thamizhagam president K. Krishnasamy, once elected from Ottapidaram, has come back to the constituency to test his electoral fortunes again. However, DMK candidate C. Raja poses a stiff competition to the Dalit leader.
In Kanyakumari, the much-debated Rubber Park is still a dream. Migration of people from the highly literate district to the metros and abroad in search of jobs continues. Minister for Tourism and Registration N. Suresh Rajan, seeking re-election from Kanyakumari, faces K.T. Patchaimaal of AIADMK. The Congress faces the problem of rebel candidate at Killiyoor in the form of former MLA D. Kumaradoss while the Congress ‘official candidate' for Vilavancode, Vijayadharani, is facing non-cooperation from her partymen as she is being viewed as an ‘outsider'.
All Democratic Progressive Alliance candidates in these three districts mainly harp on the distribution of free colour television sets, gas stoves; financial assistance to widows, the aged, for marriage of poor women, for pregnant women, health insurance scheme etc. and exude confidence that these “achievements” would bail them out.
Though the freebies and the assistance have some positive impact on rural voters, the situation is different in urban areas, where the voters have been tormented by inflation, power cut, drinking water crisis, bumpy roads and poor sanitation.
