Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency, the birth district of the veteran Congress leader and CM of Tamil Nadu K Kamaraj), is an arid dry spell area looking at the mercy of rain gods. It is a business centre of lentils, edible oils, chilies, and provisions and home to several thousand fireworks and safety match industries. It lies between Madurai and Tirunelveli districts.
The constituency’s total eligible electorate is over 15.01 lakhs with 1,895 voting centers. It has various industrial units ranging from fireworks, offset and litho printing, safety match sticks and boxes to power looms. It is a karisal sand land and is fit enough for cotton crop cultivation. Due to the false narrative of Western and self-proclaimed environmental activists, the firecrackers industry was the worst hit. The SC has restricted the sale of firecrackers and bursting them during Di, which, to it, was the main source of air pollution in Delhi and other states, and it does not question why it was used during New Year and political events. The selective targeted attacks on the fireworks industry have led to several units facing closure. Lakhs of people who depend on these units are losing their livelihood. Only green firecrackers meant for domestic and export to other countries help the industry to continue its task. During his yatra, Annamalai has assured them of the necessary help to see the industry blooming back to its old days.
Congress ally of DMK has allotted the seat to two-time MP B Manikin Tagor, who is seeking re-election from here. BJP has fielded Actor Sarat Kumar’s wife and actor, popular hit Television serial producer Radhika Saratkumar. The late actor and founder of DMDK Vijayakant’s son V. Vijaya Prabhakar, a debut for election, and NTK is S Kaushik are trying their luck. Manickam Tagor won twice in 2009 and 2019 as a congress candidate and an ally of DMK. In 2014, T Radhakrishnan of AIADMK was elected.
Here, caste arithmetic plays a crucial role. The trading communities of Nadars, Thevars (Mukulathor community) and Naidus are predominant in the constituency. There are six assembly segments viz Virudhunagar, Sivakasi, Sattur and Aruppukootai in Virudhunagar district and Thirumangalam and Thiruparankundram of Madurai district. The two segments in the Madurai district comprise 40 per cent of the votes, which will determine the poll outcome. Here, DMK, MDMK, Congress and left parties have a wide presence across the constituency, while the rivals AIADMK and BJP have supporters. It was shot in the arms of the BJP when the veteran Tamil actor R Sarath Kumar on Tuesday merged his Akila India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) with the BJP well ahead of polls. He comes from a powerful Nadar community and a family of leading media barons who are household names in Tamil Daily, magazines, and satellite TV channels. Radhika is from a Telugu-speaking family whose father, M R Radha, was a veteran actor. Her brothers are actors in Kollywood. Annamalai’s yatra, coupled with his charisma, multi-linguistic skills, up-to-date knowledge on everything, PM’s popularity and his upcoming campaign tour, ten years corruption-free regime, policies to boost the development of the industrial sector, more particularly assuring to help the fireworks and match box units will help BJP’s Radhika sail through the polls easily. BJP is highlighting the completion of the Madurai-Thoothukudi –Tirunelveli railway double line project. However, the strong displeasure against the DMK dispensation, poor handling of floods, and not fulfilling poll promises will go against it. It will help the BJP, mainly, to some extent, get votes. People are not happy with the functioning of the sitting MP who, they say, has not done anything for the constituency.
Congress candidate banks on the solid support of DMK, its schemes and Rahul’s leadership. He wants to highlight the joblessness, inflation and failure of the NDA government in not doing anything for the area. He pointed out that the UPA regime had started bringing mother vessels to Thoothukudi port to enable fireworks units to export their goods. NTK leader Seeman had canvassed for his candidate. He also claims he is from the Nadar community, but critics say it is untrue. AIADMK takes credit for the Government Medical College in Virudhunagar. DMK and other opposition parties are taking up the non-starter of AIIMS in Madurai despite laying the foundation stone in 2019.
The railway line between Madurai and Thoothukudi to Aruppukotai is yet to be taken up which the opposition wants to exploit. Except for the Madurai-Singapore International flight service, the airport can’t boast any further developmental activities in the past decade under the NDA regime. The shortage of CISF personnel led to the halting of the announcement that the Madurai Airport was operational 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Also, shifting the Kappalur toll gate remains a promise. There have been 131 deaths and 69 accidents related to firecracker units since 2019.
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