CHENNAI: When the DMK-led alliance swept the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, its highest margin of victory came from the Chennai North constituency. Here, plastic surgeon Dr Kalanidhi Veerasamy in his debut election won with a 48% margin against the state’s average victory margin of 22.2%. The son of late DMK founding member Arcot N Veerasamy garnered 62% of polled votes – while his nearest opponent, DMDK’s R Mohan Raj, fielded by NDA (including the AIADMK), lost his deposit.
The constituency, which includes the Assembly seat of party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin, is a DMK stronghold. In 14 Lok Sabha elections since 1967, Chennai North has voted for the DMK 11 times and twice for the Left parties. AIADMK has only managed to win here once – in 2014 when there was a strong anti-incumbency wave against the UPA and the DMK.
While 2019 might have been a cakewalk for Veerasamy, this time he is likely to face a tougher fight with the AIADMK and BJP alliances, each fielding candidates who are well-known. The AIADMK candidate Royapuram Manoharan, who was previously with the Congress, is banking on the party’s traditional vote bank in Chennai North, which also includes Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar segment that elected its late leader J Jayalalithaa in 2015 (bypoll) and 2016.
Also senior party leader and former minister D Jayakumar has been elected from the Royapuram segment five times. AIADMK is also counting on the resentment against the DMK in certain pockets of Chennai North, especially in the localities worst affected by last December’s floods. RC Paul Kanagaraj, fielded by the BJP, heads the party’s state advocates’ wing. While the BJP has not won in any Assembly segments in the past, it is keen to put up a good fight by wooing the north Indian population here.
The densely populated, in fact congested, Chennai North has no dearth of problems. The recent ammonia gas leak from an offshore pipeline of Coromandel International Limited is only the latest. The issue led to intense protests of villagers in and around Ennore, calling for the company’s closure.
R Balachandar from Periyakuppam said they have been facing pollution for many years, owing to the presence of several industries. “We want the government to test the potability of the groundwater and screen people for health problems,” he said. The gas leak came on the heels of an oil spill during the floods that had devastated parts of this constituency.
Lack of adequate transport facilities for the working population remains a major concern here. ED Elango, a resident of Sathyamoorthy Nagar in Vyasarpadi, said there are not many bus services from Vyasarpadi to other areas. “Hundreds, especially women, travel to different areas every day and are largely dependent on share autos,” he said.
Not much attention has been given to improve drainage system in many areas since Independence. “All environmentally hazardous projects are moved to Chennai North, including tanneries,” said Nivedita Louis, a historian.
The constituency has a significant fisher population. No matter which party gets elected, their problems remain the same, said A Mahendran, a fisherman from Kasimedu.
A slew of projects had been announced here but nothing much has materialised to improve the quality of life of the people, he said. The union government had allotted Rs 98 crore for the modernisation of the Kasimedu fishing harbour last year, but the work is yet to start.
The Captain Cotton Canal has not been desilted for years and the menace of mosquitoes in the areas around the Kodungaiyur dumpyard is unbearable, said N S Ramachandra Rao, president of Ever Vigilant Residents’ Welfare Association, Kodungaiyur. He said the `640 crore worth biomining project at the dumpyard, which could have addressed the health hazards, is proceeding at a slow pace.
The DMK government, soon after coming to power, announced the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam (North Chennai Development Plan) to significantly improve the infrastructure of the area at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. However, the funds for the project were only allocated in this year’s budget.
A few pockets of Chennai North have a significant presence of north Indians who have settled here for generations. A few of them said they would prefer the NDA at the centre but DMK or AIADMK in TN.
A young voter from MKB Nagar said, “When it comes to TN, I prefer either of the Dravidian majors. In the last five years, the constituency has seen a lot of infrastructure development, including flyovers, bridges, and roads. The BJP has not done anything for Tamil Nadu.”
A 48-year-old said he and his family prefer the BJP at the centre. “Narendra Modi has no family and he is working only for the country’s development. We will support him.”
Still, despite long-pending issues the mood on the ground suggests Chennai North is likely to remain DMK’s fortress.