CHENNAI: The scorching Chennai sun is no deterrent to the bustle at Usman Road, the heart of T Nagar. The aroma of freshly ground filter coffee from Sundaram Coffee wafting through the air blends with that of malli in the vendors’ pushcarts. Adding to the lively mood are the brightly-coloured Pokémon and Tom and Jerry keychains hanging from roadside shops, where college student haggle with vendors.
Beneath the newly-inaugurated J Anbazhagan flyover, named after the late father of DMK candidate Raja Anbazhagan, two-wheelers stand tightly packed against a pier, often spilling beyond the painted parking line. Suddenly, an MTC bus descending the flyover gets stuck on the road. Two autorickshaws must be moved; the bus driver honks in frustration.
After a pause, one autorickshaw moves forward, and the bus inches ahead, brushing against a two-wheeler jutting out of the parking space. Though the road is about 10 metres wide on one side, haphazard parking has drastically reduced the usable space. Vehicles inch by, often grazing parked bikes which sometimes fall like dominoes.
For the residents of one of Chennai’s busiest commercial hubs since the early 1950s, this daily inconvenience takes a dangerous turn during emergencies, as ambulances and fire engines struggle to navigate the congested stretch.
Recalling the 2017 Chennai Silks fire, which took over 30 hours to douse and led to the collapse of a major portion of the seven-storey building, B Kannan, a resident of 50 years at Rangan Street, says several existing commercial establishments violate fire safety norms. Fearing a repeat of the fire, he says the Rs 164.92 crore Anbazhagan flyover and Rs 28.45 crore skywalk have worsened access for emergency vehicles.
“The fire from commercial buildings can quickly reach our homes. Where will we go?” asks longtime resident VS Jayaraman, from Motilal Street, voicing a key concern among the 6,000 residents of the streets abutting South Usman Road.
This mix of commercial and residential makes the T Nagar constituency unique. Many residents are concerned commercial establishments are engulfing homes they have lived in for decades while much-hyped infrastructure projects such as the skywalk, multi-level car parking, and pedestrian plaza, have failed to fulfil their purpose.
Residents also point to poor civic infrastructure, including British-era underground drainage that frequently clogs, as well as inadequate drinking water supply, and urge the government to either declare the area entirely commercial or address long-pending civic and infrastructure concerns.
Many residents also feel incumbent DMK MLA Karunanithi, Raja Anbazhagan’s uncle, and his predecessor B Sathiyanaarayanan, of AIADMK, were inefficient with the former not visiting many places in the constituency since 2021.
Besides T Nagar, the segment includes West Mambalam, Kodambakkam, Vadapalani, Ashok Nagar, KK Nagar, MGR Nagar, and CIT Nagar. Over the years, the constituency has alternated between the DMK and AIADMK. It saw nearly 34% deletions during the Special Intensive Revision exercise, reducing the electorate from 2,35,616 to 1,54,943.
Karunanithi was elected in 2021 by the smallest margin in the state, defeating Sathiyanaarayanan by 137 votes. Residents Suryan Basheer and Jayaraman say voting was shaped by both an anti-BJP wave as well as a Brahmin majority, which largely backs the AIADMK-BJP alliance.
Muslims have notable presence in some pockets. Though BJP eyed the seat as it had polled 37% of votes in the segment when it contested alone in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, AIADMK chose to field Sathiyanaarayanan again.
Sathiyanaarayanan believes voters would back EPS’ achievements while assuring that T Nagar-specific promises would be announced on April 9 during EPS’s visit. Raja Anbazhagan is the grandson of ‘Pazhakkadai’ Jayaraman known for the fruit shop that runs till date near Ranganathan Street in the constituency.
His father, a three-time MLA, was elected from here in 2001. He brings with him the experience of serving as councillor of Ward 141 of Greater Chennai Corporation from 2022 and aims to bring Smart City Project 2.0 to ease traffic congestion.
NTK has fielded a Brahmin lawyer V Anusha, while TVK’s general secretary N Anand is also in the fray. Anand has begun campaigning with TVK’s social media handles, posting reels of him taking a walk in a park and interacting with residents. He couldn’t be reached for a comment. Having begun door-to-door campaigning a month ago, Anusha says she has identified lack of drinking water and outdated drainage systems as issues to address if elected.