COIMBATORE: Valparai reserved constituency has a distinction of having the least number of candidates, just six, thanks to its geographical location and the resultant constraints. Being a hill station, Valparai has thrown a different set of challenges to its residents, whose multiple demands have been pending for long now.
Even though other parties are contesting for the seat, the fight is expected to be a two-cornered one between CPI and AIADMK candidates. Former MLA M Arumugam (69) of CPI has been allotted the seat in the DMK alliance. He is taking on TK Amul Kandhasamy, a 55-year-old businessman, of AIADMK. The AIADMK has won the seat four times in the past, DMK thrice, CPI twice and Congress and Tamil Maanila Congress once each.
Amul Kandhasamy is the deputy secretary of MGR youth wing in Valparai. He is contesting elections for the first time. The AIADMK has denied ticket to incumbent MLA Kasthuri Vasu, who won the seat in 2016 by a margin of 8,244 votes by defeating DMK candidate T Paul Pandi. Amul Kandhasamy being a new face and considered an outsider in the constituency is said to be a setback for the ruling party.
M Arumugam, who won the seat in 2011 when the party was in alliance with the AIADMK, is now seeking the mandate of the voters here for the second time. Irked over Valparai constituency not being allotted to TMC in the AIADMK alliance, Kovai Thangam, who won the constituency twice, in 2001 on a TMC ticket and again in 2006 on a Congress ticket, quit the TMC and joined DMK in the presence of MK Stalin at Salem. He is now campaigning for the CPI candidate in Valparai.
Despite being a tourist place, with places like Aliyar dam, Monkey Waterfalls and Topslip, Valparai has not attracted much crowd like Ooty in Nilgiris does. The long-pending demand of traders and guest house owners for a boat house and a botanical garden to attract tourists was addressed only recently. Apart from tourism, tea leaf plucking is another major occupation in the hills. Online transactions, an advantage in the plains, is not a luxury available to those in the hills.
Hence, they visit bank branches every month to withdraw their salaries. The journey from the estate to the bank is time-consuming. Even then, banks, at times, face technical issues and could not disperse money in time. A few ATMs set up in the town are also not functional now.
Speaking about the plight of tea estate workers, P Paramasivam, general secretary of CITU Valparai town, said, “When compared to the tea estate workers in Kerala, workers in Tamil Nadu get meagre daily income and are leading a difficult life due to lack of basic amenities like street lights and bus facilities. Wild animal disturbance is another major problem faced by the people in this hill town. People still get killed in attacks by wild elephants and leopards.” The estate roads were also in a dilapidated condition. “A tea estate worker in Valparai gets Rs 336 daily.
Due to the low wages and lack of alternative jobs, the workers have shifted to Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode. Moreover, getting medical treatment for major ailments at Valparai government hospital too remains a distant dream. In case of complications, women undergoing labour are referred to Pollachi government hospital, which is nearly 65 km away,” Paramasivam explained.
Poll promises
M Arumugam of CPI says he will take steps to provide daily wage to the tea estate workers in Valparai on par with the workers in Kerala. “Salaries will be distributed to the estate workers at the estate itself, since they are facing difficulties in getting the same at banks and ATMs every month,” he promised.
Amul Kandhasamy of AIADMK says that steps will be taken to provide alternative jobs for tea industries and create employment opportunities to degree holders to stop them from moving out of Valparai. “Valparai government hospital will be modernized,” he assured.
No. of polling booths: 294
Voters
Male: 98,617, Female: 1,06,699, Third gender: 19, Total: 2,05,335
Key candidates
TK Amul Kandasami (AIADMK), M Arumugam (CPI)
Other candidates
MS Murugaraj of DMDK
D Senthil Raj of Makkal Neethi Maiam
C Kohila of Naam Tamilar Katchi
Past Results
2016: V Kasthuri Vasu (AIADMK)- 69,980 votes
T Paulpandi (DMK) - 61,736 votes
2011: M Arumugham (CPI) 61,171 votes
Kovai Thangam (Congress) 57,750 votes
2006: Kovai Thangam (Congress) 46,561 votes
S Kalaiyarasan Susi (VCK) 25,582 votes
2001: Kovai Thangam (TMC (M) 47,428 votes
K Krishnaswamy (PT) 29,513 votes
1996:V P Singaravelu (DMK) 55,284 votes
Kurichi Manimaran (AIADMK) 30,012 votes