Chennai: The Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha constituency is more urban in nature and accounts for a large chunk of the areas in the city’s southern suburbs. Traffic congestion, narrow roads and irregular water supply are among the major poll issues here.
Summer, most invariably, brings with it water woes in several areas such as Alandur, Pallavaram and Tambaram which don’t get a regular supply of Palar water, for several days together.
With individual houses fast transforming into apartments, the residents are increasingly dependent on tanker lorries for water. Traditional wells in most of the areas too have disappeared giving way for borewells.
Further, the desilting of the Adambakkam lake and removing encroachments on the banks has remained a distant dream for the voters. Entrepreneurs at the Ambattur Industrial Estate, one of the earliest industrial hubs in the city, apprehend losing their space to commercial complexes, hospitals or schools.
Strangely, this extensive Lok Sabha constituency comprising the Assembly constituencies of Maduravoyal, Ambattur, Alandur, Sriperumbudur (SC), Pallavaram and Tambaram, accounts for good number of incomplete flyovers.
A veteran in electoral battles and former Union Minister T. R. Baalu, who won from this constituency in 2009, is contesting from this seat and he appears confident that the DMK-led combine will place him in a comfortable position this time.
He is pitted against Dr. A. Vaithilingam of the PMK and advocate P. Sridhar of Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam.
During the 2014 Lok Sabha election, AIADMK’s K. N. Ramachandran who romped home the winner. Dr. Vaithilingam banks on the AIADMK combine to trounce the DMK candidate in this semi-urban constituency.
A total of 19 candidates are in the fray in Sriperumbudur LS seat which has an electorate strength of 22,53,041 including 11,22,731 men and 11,29,970 women.
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