Thiruvananthapuram: Lack of proper housing and sea erosion are the major issues in demographically significant coastal wards of the city such as Valiyathura, Beemapally and Poonthura, where Congress leader A.K. Antony himself spearheaded the UDF campaign.
Other coastal wards like Vettucaud and Shangumugham also have many voters who aspire to be beneficiaries of housing schemes. While most of these divisions have backed CPM during last elections, UDF hopes to get back few of them in their traditional strongholds.
But UDF candidate Lilly Rajas of Vettucaud says seawall is not a major issue in her ward housing the Veli Tourist Village. She is upbeat about chief minister’s plan to invest over Rs 100 crore for tourism development here.
“The lack of proper lighting compounded with street dog menace is a common problem. We have several homeless people. Areas like Madhavapuram wants drainage facilities,” says Mrs Rajas, a widow who aspires to wrest the seat from the CPM.
The supporters of LDF candidate Vimala Nasar hope party based votes to give her extra boost.
There are not less than 9,000 voters in Vettucaud ward that is demographically as big as city divisions like Vanchiyoor or Palayam.
Similar is the case with Valiyathura, which has over eight booths as against city wards with around five or six booths.
The Valiyathura UDF candidates Sheeba Patrick and LDF’s D. Irene could meet people of their vast constituency only once as they are racing against time.
“Quick inundation of roads during rains and high tides are a problem at Valiyathura,” says Ms Patrick.
Ms Irene believes the sitting UDF councillor and their local MLA, health minister V.S. Sivakumar, had flopped miserably in relocating people affected by the seawall breach.
Apart from this are the water scarcity owing to distribution systems that remain damaged almost all year.
Citizens of Poonthura want a new harbour as their beaches have been taken away by the seawall. The broken seawall also is a hot topic at Beemapally.
