CHENNAI: Chennai’s western suburbs are like kabaddi courts this election, with a swift raid here or a strong tackle there capable of changing fortunes of the contestants in the four constituencies. Poonamallee is the only one that goes back half a century; the other three — Avadi, Ambattur, Maduravoyal — were carved out in 2011. Team AIADMK won the three seats and Poonamallee too in 2011 and 2016, but DMK’s raids proved too much for the opposition in 2021.As the teams return to the court this time, the question is whether DMK can retain its grip. DMK is yet to name its candidates, but AIADMK has retained only Maduravoyal. It has allotted Avadi to BJP, Ambattur to PMK and Poonamallee to AMMK. Some see this as a reflection of AIADMK’s weakened organisational base in a region it once dominated. AIADMK’s alliance with BJP in 2021 also appears to have hurt its prospects among minority voters, who are a significant number in some areas.
Avadi has a history of electing leaders who went on to become ministers in both AIADMK and DMK govts — S Abdul Rahim, Mafoi K Pandiarajan and the sitting MLA, S M Nasar. There was speculation that AIADMK might renominate Abdul Rahim, but the constituency was handed to BJP. Pandiarajan, who lost in 2021, is now said to be shifting his focus to Virudhunagar. With Muslims and Christians making up nearly a fourth of the electorate, Nasar is expected to be renominated by DMK for a third term. A former district organiser of DMK youth wing led by M K Stalin, Nasar was briefly dropped from the cabinet in 2023 amid multiple complaints involving his family, and reinducted after a year.
The western suburbs, which are a crucial link between the city’s northern and southern halves and a gateway to Tirupati and Bengaluru, have long been a neglected court. But there’s a boom in residential and industrial construction. In fact, realtors are positioning it as the “new south Chennai.” But civic infrastructure has lagged. There’s no piped water supply, stormwater drains are inadequate and underground sewage systems are incomplete. This has left a lot of people unhappy. DMK has promised big infrastructure projects, including the proposed Tamil Nadu Knowledge City at nearby Tiruvallur. Besides, metro rail is ready to connect Poonamallee and Porur with Vadapalani. And, has proposed extension from Tirumangalam to Pattabiram. The planned bus terminus at Kuthambakkam could make it the next Koyambedu.
Yet, the spectators feel the defending champions could have done more. Residents of village panchayats such as Adayalampattu and Vanagaram remain outside Greater Chennai Corporation limits despite a GO mandating merger. The delay in merging Tiruverkadu and Poonamallee with Avadi has added to frustrations.
DMK’s flanks are weak in Avadi, in particular. Despite being upgraded to a municipal corporation eight years ago, it has struggled to capitalise on that status. Large areas lack piped water supply, and an underground drainage project has seen little progress in the past five years. Even the widening of the Chennai-Tiruttani Highway has largely stayed on paper. Disgruntled spectators compare Nasar to guest player K Pandiarajan of AIADMK, who brought the Tidel Park to west Chennai apart from restoring the Paruthipattu lake.As for TVK and NTK, they have not so far made a mark in this region, but it’s early days yet. Leave them out of the equation for now and Chennai West could see the ruling side score big with its promised bigticket projects or falter as the opposition pins it down over unresolved local issues.
