Elections 2019: CPI(M) Going Strong as Madurai Goes to Polls Today

Madurai is a city with historic importance in Tamil Nadu. It is also the fourth largest city after Chennai, Coimbatore and Trichy. The Lok Sabha constituency has a total of 15,20,728 voters, who are voting today to elect their representstive. The key candidates in the fray are Communist Party of India (Marxist), which has fielded Su. Venkatesan, Sahitya Academy winner and president of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association. The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has fielded VVR Raj Sathyan, son of sitting AIADMK legislator and former mayor of Madurai VV Rajan Chellappa

The Congress has won the seat eight times, CPI (M) three times, the undivided Communist Party of India, Janata Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Tamil Maanila Congress and AIADMK once each. The AIADMK emerged victorious from here the first time in 2014.

Illegal Mining Cost Rs.1200 core to Exchequer.

Madurai is known for its rich granite resources along with farming, spinning mills and small-scale industries. These sectors provide basic and scarce employment opportunities to job seekers. The reported loss for the state exchequer has been pegged at Rs.1,200 crore due to illegal mining of granite.

The Proposed Smart City Lacks Infrastructure.

Demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax have destroyed the already negligible presence of small-scale industries. This has resulted in enhancing the struggle of the youth seeking employment in their home town. The city, which once housed numerous companies, is struggling of late to find investors, thanks to the state government’s negligence. Madurai is included in the list of smart cities, but the announcement has done no good to the people.

Traffic menace is one of the most important issues that the city faces. The lethargic attitude of successive governments in implementing necessary road projects has added to the agony of commuters.

Vaigai River Running Dry.

The city of Madurai is built on the banks of river Vaigai. The Keezhadi excavation so far completed has given enough hints of the existence of civilisation that had evolved on the banks of the river. The river once catered to the drinking and agricultural needs of the people, but is in a pathetic state now.

Incidentally, Venkatesan started his poll campaign by paying floral tributes to Vaigai stressing the importance of the river in the history of the city.

Venkatesan is familiar for his writings and his fight for continuing the Keezhadi excavation has brought him laurels. With the TTV Dinakaran-led Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam candidate eating into the traditional AIADMK votes and the AIADMK suffering from internal squabbles, Venkatesan seems to be on a strong footing. What really the people of Madurai decide will eventually be know on May 23, when the Lok Sabha elections results will be out.