Development key issue in high-stakes Thanjavur bout

Thanjavur: Thanjavur is bracing for a high-stakes battle this time, the main contenders being DMK and BJP, parties in power in the state and Centre respectively. DMK has denied ticket to incumbent MLA T K G Neelamegam, and fielded Shan Ramanathan, former mayor of Thanjavur corporation, also the party's city secretary.DMK sources said the 49-year-old candidate lobbied hard to secure the seat housing Big Temple, a key tourist attraction of the state. Ramanathan's campaign focuses on urban projects implemented during his mayoral term, such as new parks and libraries. "Traffic in Thanjavur city has increased sharply with the growth of trade and commerce. I will act quickly to build flyovers to ease congestion," Ramanathan said.BJP has fielded state general secretary Karuppu M Muruganantham, the party's face in Cauvery delta. He unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Thanjavur. AIADMK's city secretary N S Saravanan lobbied for a ticket and even launched work, but AIADMK ceded the seat to BJP. "Development and agriculture activities have dipped in Thanjavur over the past five years. I will work to set up multiple industries to develop Thanjavur," Muruganantham said. Other contenders include R Vijay Saravanan from TVK and N Krishnakumar from NTK. Residents remain concerned about civic problems such as solid waste management woes. The city has attracted private investments, but traffic bottlenecks persist near tourist spots. Thanjavur got a Tidel Neo park recently, encouraging more startups including agriculture-related companies to recruit locals.CM Stalin's sharp criticism of the BJP govt on the delimitation issue and non-allocation of funds has gained traction here. On its part, BJP has been targeting the DMK candidate for unresolved promises during Ramanathan's mayoral period. Both DMK and BJP are dealing with discontentment over denial of tickets. Greater accountability as well as quicker local development tops the expectation of Thanjavur voters in this election.