The predominantly agrarian Kallakurichi Parliamentary Constituency is headed for an intense three-way contest as the DMK, AIADMK and PMK lock horns, and it could well be a photo finish.
While the DMK’s, Pon Gautham Sigamani, defeated DMDK’s L.K. Sudhish in 2019 with ease by a margin of 3,99,919 votes, it may not be the case this time since the AIADMK has been working for a comeback.
In this Dalit dominated constituency, where votes of Vanniyars and Udayars also decide the poll outcome, the DMK has fielded T. Malaiarasan, the AIADMK its former Ulundurpet MLA and party strongman R. Kumaraguru while the PMK has fielded former Salem MP R. Devadoss. All the three candidates belong to the Udayar community.
Jagadeesh Pandian of the Naam Tamilar Katchi is also in the fray.
Encompassing Assembly segments of Rishivanthiyam, Sankarapuram, Kallakurichi (SC), Gangavalli (SC), Attur (SC) and Yercaud (ST), the Kallakurichi Parliamentary constituency has 15,68,681 voters, including 7,94,927 women and 7,73,526 men and 228 others.
Currently, the Assembly segments of Kallakurichi (SC), Gangavalli (SC), Attur (SC) and Yercaud (ST) are represented by the AIADMK while Sankarapuram and Rishivanthiyam are held by the DMK in the Legislative Assembly.
In the first parliamentary polls after delimitation in 2009, DMK nominee Adhi Shankar defeated Pattali Makkal Katchi candidate K. Dhanaraju by a margin of 1,08,639 votes. Even then, the DMDK, which fielded Mr. Sudhish, had secured 1,32,126 votes, which was 15.47% of the votes polled.
It will be the second time since 2014 when the DMK and AIADMK will be facing each other. In the 2014 elections, K. Kamaraj of the AIADMK won the seat defeating R. Manimaran of the DMK by a margin of 2,23,507 votes.
Mr. Kamaraj had secured a lion’s share of 48.16% votes; DMDK candidate V. P. Eswaran polled a distant third but secured 14.82 per cent.
The DMDK has been a force to reckon with in the constituency and statistics indicate that the party’s vote share has been consistently around 15% and above in the previous elections. In the 2019 elections, the DMDK polled 26.85% of votes and came second.
With the DMDK now part of the AIADMK-led alliance, political observers are of the view that the ensuing battle between the DMK, AIADMK and the PMK will be an interesting tussle in which the DMK cannot have it easy.
While the DMK is battling internal feuds, the AIADMK candidate is relatively better placed as he is said to have maintained his base among the second rung leaders and senior party men.
Issues
The constituency has a large number of sago industries and the demand for setting up a sago factory has been a long pending demand. Though it has been more than five years since Kallakurichi was hived off as a new district from composite Villupuram district, the constituency is still beset with infrastructure related issues. The tourism potential of Kalvarayan hills, which has a population of Malayali tribals is yet to be tapped.
People are unhappy that the region is not getting its due. The establishment of a railway station at Kallakurichi is also a long-pending demand.
