CHENNAI: With the assembly elections poised for an intense three-way battle, the Chepauk-Triplicane constituency in the city might see some friction despite star candidate and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in the fray. With majority of the constituency’s population being middle-class and educated voters, DMK is confident of an unchallenged victory for its VIP candidate. This will be the fourth election to the constituency since it was formed in 2008 after delimitation, and second for Udhayanidhi.
In 2011 and 2016, DMK’s J Anbazhagan won by a margin of around 14,000 and 10,000 votes, respectively. With Udhayanidhi’s entry, the constituency has swung even more strongly in DMK’s favour. In 2021, Udhayanidhi won by a margin of more than 69,000 votes. A closer look at the constituency indicates a victory for him again, but whether he will retain the victory margin remains to be seen. On the rival front, AIADMK has fielded Adhirajaram as its candidate for the constituency, who lost to chief minsiter M K Stalin in 2021 in Kolathur constituency.
NTK and TVK have fielded little-known candidates Ayisha Begum and D Selvam respectively.The constituency, with a sizeable Muslim population, has been a DMK bastion for long. In the 2011 assembly election, when almost the entire state voted DMK out of power, the party won the Chepauk-Triplicane constituency, largely due to their support. “Muslims here will be loyal to DMK as they have been providing many welfare schemes for our community. Also, with the current political scenario with BJP governing most states in the north, DMK is the only party that we can trust,” said Abdul Rabb, a resident of Surappa Street in the constituency.But there are some problems that have persisted during DMK’s tenure, regardless of its popularity. The constituency is plagued by lack of parking facilities and cattle menace. Triplicane is one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods annexed by the British in 1668, and so most of its streets are narrow, resulting in heavy traffic hold-ups, even during non-peak hours. “The number of bikes has increased manifold. They are parked everywhere, even on main roads, resulting in traffic congestion. Multilevel parking spaces may help,” said M Khaja Moideen, a street vendor on Pycrofts Road in Triplicane.Cattle menace is another issue affecting the constituency, especially near the Parthasarathy temple, a landmark in the area. “Even though a cattle shelter was constructed, no owner is ready to tie their cattle there,” said A Lakshmi, a flower seller in front of the temple. Nevertheless, DMK campaigners are confident that winning the constituency would be a cakewalk for Udhayanidhi considering his frequent visits to the constituency when it faced natural calamities, and for tackling long-pending issues.
