New Delhi: South Chennai is getting ready for a three-way showdown within the upcoming April 19 Lok Sabha elections. The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) will vie for dominance on this constituency, that includes two outstanding feminine leaders and a former MP. The present DMK MP, T Sumathy, also referred to as Tamizhachi Thangapandian, will compete towards the previous Telangana Governor and BJP consultant, Tamilisai Soundararajan. Whereas, the AIADMK has nominated J Jayavardhan, a former MP who beforehand secured victory on this constituency in 2014.
Earlier this week, Tamilisai resigned from her governorship and rejoined the BJP, which has now put her ahead as their candidate from this space. After rejoining the BJP, she has voiced her assurance of her victory, including that she has been a resident of this space for 40 years and is acquainted with the problems and wishes. Meanwhile, Jayavardhan is counting on the array of welfare initiatives he carried out or initiated throughout his tenure from 2014 to 2019, notably within the fields of healthcare and railways, based on sources near him. On the opposite hand, Thangapandian conveyed her appreciation to DMK President and Chief Minister MK Stalin for her re-nomination.
Fight Over Six Segments
South Chennai includes six legislative meeting segments: Velachery, Virugambakkam, Saidapet, Thiyagarayanagar, Mylapore, and Sholinganallur. The Congress holds illustration in Velachery, whereas the remaining segments are represented by DMK MLAs. It’s noteworthy that the Congress is aligned with the DMK-led coalition within the state.
DMK Might Get An Edge
The constituency has traditionally been a stronghold for the DMK, which has secured victory 5 instances, whereas the AIADMK has gained twice. The BJP has but to determine a major presence within the space and attained third place within the 2014 elections. In the 2019 polls, Thamizhachi Thangapandian emerged triumphant by defeating Jayavardhan with a considerable margin of two,62,223 votes.
In 2014, Jayavardhan secured victory over his closest rival, TKS Elangovan of the DMK, by a margin exceeding 1.36 lakh votes. According to specialists, given the high-profile competitors within the area, Thamizhachi holds the benefit. The opposition votes are prone to be divided between AIADMK candidate Jayavardhan and the BJP’s Tamilisai, creating an edge for the DMK nominee.
Battle On Development Plank
The existence of main IT companies reminiscent of Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and Wipro results in a considerable want for top-tier residential lodging. A resident of the realm highlighted the insufficient response to the floods in December 2023. According to him, this would possibly negatively impression DMK candidate Thangapandian’s standing, as many individuals skilled vital difficulties, together with shortages of important provides, throughout that point.
The constituency, which additionally accommodates quite a few residents employed within the IT sector in addition to entrepreneurs and enterprise figures, encounters numerous challenges. These embrace points like waterlogging in the course of the monsoon, as seen in December 2023, inconsistent energy provide, and the necessity for street repairs, amongst others. The December rainfall, which led to in depth flooding, considerably disrupted every day life. Numerous movies circulated on social media platforms exhibiting parked automobiles being swept away by the pressure of nature’s onslaught.
