Ooty: The Nilgiris (SC) constituency is a blend of assembly segments from 4 districts. Ooty, Gudalur and Coonoor assembly segments in the Nilgiris distinct and Mettupalayam (Coimbatore), Avinashi (Tirupur) and Bhavanisagar (Erode) make up for the Nilgiris (SC) constituency. While there is the hills and plains divide in this constituency, the issues are also different in the two regions.
Statistics show that in the post-emergency era, the Congress and the BJP between them, won seven times out of the 11 LS elections between 1977 and 2014, by riding on the back of either the DMK or AIADMK in different elections. The AIADMK which contested in the 1977 and 2014 elections won on both occasions. The DMK won here only in 2009.
These elections, the arch-rivals DMK and AIADMK are locking horns here for the second consecutive term, with the AMMK, MNM and Baduga Desa Party, a local political outfit here, making their debut.
Of the 13,49,740 voters which includes 6,57,991 men, 6,91,784 women and 1,611 transgenders, nearly around two lakh hail from the Badaga community, the predominant community in the Nilgiris district. Dalits are said to constitute nearly three lakh voters and nearly 80,000 Sri Lankan repatriates living across the Nilgiris also make up for the vote bank besides Malayalis and Kanarese. This apart, Vellala Gounders and other communities living in the plains make up for the total voter strength in the constituency.
Both the DMK, the AIADMK and the new parties are talking of old unresolved issues like fixing a minimum support price for green tea leaf, ST status for Badagas, revival of Hindustan Photo Films and issue of pattas in Gudalur.
None of the major political parties contesting here have any development, job oriented manifesto for the constituency.
