New Delhi [India], April 14 (ANI): Tamil Nadu's Chennai Central Lok Sabha seat, with six assembly segments, will witness a fierce battle between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming polls for the Lower House.
The DMK has fielded incumbent MP Dayanidhi Maran, seeking to retain the seat, while the BJP has announced Vinoj P Selvam is giving a tight fight to Maran.
Other parties in the poll fray include Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK). DMDK is the party founded by late actor Vijayakant.
DMDK, an ally partner of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has named B Parthasarathy to fight from Chennai Central, while R Karthikeyan, a doctor by profession, is fighting for NTK.
The constituency includes Villivakkam, Egmore, Harbour, Chepauk, Triplicane, Thousand Lights and Anna Nagar assembly segments.
Chennai Central is considered a stronghold of DMK, considering its history with the Maran family.
Sitting MP Dayanidhi Maran had won from the constituency in 2004, 2009 and 2019. The latter was the Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in 2004. Dayanidhi Maran's father, late Union Minister Murasoli Maran, had also represented the seat three times.
"We have done a good job for the welfare of the people in the last 5 years. Whether in the COVID-19 pandemic or other occasions, the DMK cadres were there at the forefront. I hope people will make me win again from this constituency," Maran said while speaking to the reporters after filing his nomination earlier in March.
However, Maran's tenure has been filled with controversies, including allegations of corruption and nepotism. Accusations regarding irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation and misuse of power have subjected him to legal scrutiny. Yet, Maran commands a strong presence in the poll scene, seeking a fourth term in the seat.
While BJP's Vinoj P Selvam exudes confidence, banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "way of working" while asserting to be "the change people want to see".
"The first promise I make is that the people will see me after the elections as well. I'm going to be the MP who's going to work for the people. We are from PM Narendra Modi's organisation, from his party. We believe in his way of working and we're here to serve the people and we are sure to be the change that the people want to see," Vinoj said during one of his campaign events.
Vinoj was in the election fray during the 2021 assembly elections but was defeated by DMK's PK Sekhar Babu, the present Tamil Nadu Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.
One of the major issues raised by the residents in the constituency spread across the six assembly segments is the heavy congestion due to narrow roads.
Another one is that of better drainage systems. Chennai Central was one of the areas that was badly hit by the recent floods due to an improper drainage system.
Looking at the history, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Dayanidhi Maran defeated Pattali Makkal Katchi's (PMK) candidate, SR Sam Paul, by a margin of 3,00,337 votes. PMK was an ally of AIADMK in 2019 but later severed ties and joined hands with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Maran lost to ADMK's SR Vijayakumar by a margin of 46,123 votes in the 2014 general elections.
In the 2019 elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance secured an overwhelming victory, winning 38 out of 39 seats.
All 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 19 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4. Tamil Nadu ranks fifth in terms of Lok Sabha seats, with 39 seats, including 32 unreserved seats and seven reserved for SC candidates.
The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. (ANI)
