VIRUDHUNAGAR PINS HOPES ON THE 'STARS'

The unfulfilled demands of people in the Lok Sabha constituency, home to various industries, include safe working place and better wages

- HARINI M

DESPITE being home to many an industry, including cracker manufacturing units, offset printing press, matchbox and handlooms that play a significant role in contributing to the country's economy, the working-class people in Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency are not all happy, as they have a bunch of unfulfilled demands, including safe working place and sufficient wages.

The DMK and its allies are in power in four assembly segments in Virudhunagar district, which has over 8.9 lakh voters.

Meanwhile, AIADMK enjoys the power in the other two assembly segments in Madurai district. It has a total voter count of over 6 lakh.

In the three parliamentary elections held in the constituency since 2009 following the delimitation, Congress candidate and the incumbent MP Manickam Tagore  (48) won twice (2009 and 2019), and the late AIADMK candidate T Radhakrishnan won once (2014).

For this election, the ruling DMK has allotted a seat to Congress in the constituency, fielding the incumbent Tagore. Until the seat allotment was declared officially, speculations were rife that the DMK would assign a seat to its other ally MDMK, and field the party's principal secretary Durai Vaiko.

Though the voters have reservations on Tagore's performance as MP of the constituency in 10 years, several factors including the community he belongs to, the highest vote bank in the constituency, contesting as the ruling party's ally and the support from the two ministers are adding to his winning chances.