Though Sri Sankara Narayana Swamy Temple in this reserved constituency attracts a huge crowd, including many VIPs, during ‘Aadi thavasu’ and traders from various parts of the country throughout the year for purchasing terry towel from nearby Subbulapuram, Sankarankovil still waits for the right person to provide at least basic facilities.
Though two elected representatives from this constituency went on to become Ministers, the pathetic condition of this segment refuses to change.
Without adequate infrastructure facilities such as reasonably good roads, quality power supply, reliable drinking water scheme, etc., this constituency, which has already witnessed 15 Assembly elections, including a by-poll (considered a ‘boon,’ as basic amenities were strengthened in an unprecedented manner to woo voters), is all set to go for another election on May 16.
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As rainfall is very less in this dry region, farmers opt for floriculture or cultivate minor crops with well water. The farmers of this segment are known for their hard work and they ensure better yield despite all odds, chiefly lack of irrigation facilities.
However, no investment has been made in this region for purchasing flowers or minor crops from growers and, naturally, the number of the farmers living in Sankarankovil area is dwindling.
They sell their ‘useless properties’ at throwaway prices and leave for ‘greener pastures’ in Tirupur, Coimbatore, Chennai, Kerala and even Mumbai. No step has been taken so far to check this massive migration.
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Followed by a large number of Dalit voters, this dry segment has mainly Thevar and Yadava community electorate. Though this reserved constituency has a sizable number of Thevar voters, they always back one of the Dalits in the fray, who is amiable to them. As the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam repeatedly fielded C. Karuppasamy, who had cordial relationship with members of the “dominant caste,” he became their natural choice. When the AIADMK refused to include All India Forward Bloc, a party that has most of its members from Thevar community, in its alliance in 2006, the AIFB, in a bid to teach a “fitting lesson” to the AIADMK, fielded P. Subbulakshmi, a Dalit, as its candidate. She was allowed to enter the temples being administered by Thevars and was received with ‘aarathi’ and given ‘aarathi panam’ during her temple visits.
It was expected that Ms. Subbulakshmi would get over 20,000 votes to dent the winning prospects of Karuppasamy.
However, she managed to poll only 9,740 votes in that election and Karuppasamy won that battle too with a low margin of over 4,000 votes. He won again in 2011. His untimely death in 2012 brought to limelight former MLA S. Sankaralingam’s daughter S. Muthuselvi, who won the by-poll comfortably as the AIADMK was in power then.
While the AIADMK has reposed faith in V.M. Rajalakshmi, chairperson of Sankarankovil Municipality, this time, its arch rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has fielded Anbumani Ganesan, former municipal chairperson.
As Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko’s birthplace Kalingapatti falls in this segment, the party, fighting the election under the DMDK-PWF-TMC banner, hopes to give a decent fight with its candidate T. Sadan Thirumalaikumar, a former MLA and physician from neighbouring Vasudevanallur.
Regular supply of drinking water and strengthening of infrastructure such as motorable rural roads and communally sensitive segment are once again the main poll promises of candidates.