Vedasandur Assembly seat: TN’s electoral barometer

By Venkatachari Jagannathan

April 4, 2021

Chennai, April 4 (IANS) The Vedasandur Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district is said to be the barometer of the state’s poll results.

The voters of this largely agrarian constituency have always elected a member whose party would capture Fort St. George here, the state’s seat of power.

Since the late fifties, Vedasandur has had a ruling party member or a member of an alliance partner of the ruling party as its representative in the state Assembly.

How it has happened over the years is not known, is the refrain of the candidates and the voters in the constituency. Perhaps it is by chance that whichever party wins here captures Fort St.George.

It is a different matter that has not helped them much over the years in terms of development and provision of basic necessities for them, say the people.

There are 20 candidates vying to find favour from about 2.63 lakh voters.

The seat, currently held by ruling AIADMK’s V.P.B. Paramasivam, is expected to see a close contest with other parties like the DMK, AMMK, MNM and NTK in the fray.

“The opinion polls are divided between the AIADMK and DMK. But such opinion poll results cannot be believed as many of the channels that have put them out are owned by contesting political parties,” S. Rameshkumar, a voter in Vedasandur told IANS.

“The response for the MNM party (floated by Kamal Haasan) is good and encouraging,” S.Vetrivel, the MNM candidate told IANS.

The 32-year-old ME computer science graduate is a first generation politician and is into farming.

“I got attracted by Kamal Haasan’s promise of giving a corruption free government,” Vetrivel added.

Speaking about his poll promises Vetrivel said he would try to root out corruption in the local government offices, stopping illegal sand mining from the river bed, securing full wages for the workers of MNREGA.

“Many of the textile units are letting out their effluent waters damaging the environment. I will take efforts to prevent the same,” Vetrivel added.

It is going to be a close contest between the two major parties — AIADMK and DMK with AMMK giving a good fight is the general feeling in the constituency.

Political analysts are of the view that the NTK floated by movie director Seeman will gain votes in rural areas and here it may cut into the votes of the AIADMK and DMK.

According to Rameshkumar, there is a strong anti-incumbency factor playing against the sitting legislator Paramasivam, the son of former Deputy Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly V.P. Balasubramaniam.

Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 6 and counting of votes will be on May 2.

On May 2, it will be known whether Vedasandur has maintained its tradition of electing a ruling party member or not.

Political analysts told IANS that the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly poll will be a wave less one.IANS