RANIPET: This parliamentary election is special for S Jagathrakshakan, the incumbent MP and DMK candidate in Arakkonam. Call it a coincidence or calculated move, despite serving the constituency thrice — in 1999, 2009 and 2019 — the 76-year-old has never sought a re-election. In 2019, he won by securing a whopping 57.47% share of votes. The candidate of PMK, which was in alliance with AIADMK then, came second with 29.34% vote share.
According to DMK sources, there were speculations that Vinoth Gandhi, son of minister R Gandhi, would be fielded in Arakkonam. However, Jagathrakshakan was retained due to concerns over potential fragmentation of votes and party’s internal discords.
The presence of a heavyweight, however, has not deterred the opposition from putting every bit of effort to regain the seat. The AIADMK has fielded A L Vijayan (44), former Sholinghur town panchayat chairman. Interestingly, he is the only ‘local’ in the fray.
The PMK, now part of the NDA alliance, has fielded K Balu (53), a seasoned advocate and party spokesperson which makes him a familiar face. Balu’s only electoral foray till now was his contest against actor and DMDK founder Vijayakant in 2016 from Ulundurpet assembly constituency. NTK’s S Afsia Nasrin, a professor with a post-graduation in engineering, is also in the fray.
There is a significant presence of Vanniyars, a Most Backward Class community, and a sizable population of Scheduled Castes in the constituency. While both Jagathrakshagan and Balu belong to the numerically dominant Vanniyar community, Vijayan is from the Vishwakarma community.
Till 1991, the constituency had continuously favoured Congress. After 1996, the dynamics shifted in favour of DMK, AIADMK, and PMK. In the six elections since 1998, PMK, in alliance with DMK, won once in 2004; AIADMK won twice; and DMK (Jagathrakshakan) won thrice.
The candidates and party cadre are braving the high temperature in Arakkonam, one of the hottest places in the state, to keep the campaigns running. But the fatigue, on the other hand, seems to be among voters as several of their long-pending demands remain unaddressed, irrespective of which party comes into power.
The constituency mostly has industries, particularly chemical, leather, and tool production. Agriculture and weaving are other prevalent sectors here.
According to many voters TNIE spoke to, the non-disposal of accumulated chromium sludge on the open ground in Ranipet by the Tamil Nadu Chromate and Chemicals Limited is their major concern. The hazardous waste has led to severe groundwater contamination within a radius of over 2 km. It has disrupted agricultural activities, forcing farmers to abandon land and livelihoods. Activists have also expressed concern over a noticeable increase in cancer cases in Ranipet, which is also attributed to this contamination.
LC Mani, the district president of TN Farmers Association, alleged that the government always cite lack of funds to solve this issue. While all major parties have assured to look into it, the issue has been remaining unaddressed for over two decades now, he added.
Despite the presence of SIPCOT and numerous industries, Ranipet lacks a fully equipped ESI hospital and relies only on dispensaries. A DMK cadre, upon anonymity, said that Arakkonam GH immediately needs better facilities as patients requiring services like CT scans and MRI are forced to travel to neighbouring districts of Vellore, Chennai, or Tiruvallur. He added that a shortage of healthcare staff plagues the hospitals in the district.
Saravanan, a resident, highlighted the long-pending infrastructure projects, including a rail overbridge to replace the existing subway near Arakkonam station. Establishing a ring road from the SR gate to the old bus stand should be done to alleviate traffic congestion, he added. The non-completion of Nagari-Tindivanam railway track works is another key concern. IT parks and colleges should come up to create job opportunities, he said.
Though the incumbent is blamed for most of these issues, voters in some areas expressed confidence in DMK’s prospects as their preference is not driven by local concerns alone, especially during general elections. DMK is banking more on the state government schemes, including the breakfast programme and Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai, rather than the MPs achievements.
AIADMK is banking on the alleged failures of the incumbent and the ‘opportunistic attitude’ of the PMK. An ex-MLA from AIADMK said that PMK’s alliances have swung like a pendulum, causing confusion among party members and voters. The party is also highlighting that it was the AIADMK that trifurcated Vellore district and formed Tirupattur and Ranipet for administrative efficiency.
PMK has always bargained and contested from this constituency irrespective of which alliance it is part of, banking on Vanniyar votes. However, their alliance with BJP is viewed negatively in some pockets. Balu is emphasising his legal efforts, through which he claims, he got around 3,300 Tasmac shops closed along national highways. He also highlights the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the campaigns.