Former DMK strongman stakes home ground for AIADMK

Along a crooked lane in Pudupet, rows of bikes are parked on the left and scrapped parts form a greasy wall on the right. Chennai's one-stop destination for automobile fans is where the constituency of Egmore begins.
The auto business is thriving but voters want a better quality of life. Egmore, one of the two reserved assembly constituencies in Chennai, is home to a cross-section of the poor and the affluent.
On the ground, it seems less grim than the Kollywood gangster film Pudhupettai, which traced the life of a hoodlum and his rise in politics, portrayed it.But, given this constituency's history, this ensuing election isn't go banners of the party ally Congress, constantly reminding people that chief minister J Jayalalithaa never came to see them during the floods.
“The new roads laid on the main roads are an eyewash, they've done nothing for the interiors. Apart from civic issues, there are plenty of other problems such as people not getting pattas and old-age pensions,“ he said.
In the last five years, some changes are visible in the constituency that is dotted with landmarks such as Egmore railway station, the museum and educational institutions.Pavements are being on Pan theon Road and Halls Road.“There has been no other development here,“ says Giridhar S, a businessman.
“For years, we have had the same issues of traffic, water, electricity and sanitation.I am frustrated with all the political parties. NOTA is my only choice.“ ing to be short of any cinematic drama.
It has been a DMK citadel since 1967, and the party has lost here only twice -once to the Congress in 1980 and then in 2011 to DMDK.
Residents voted for former DMK veteran Parithi Ilamvazhuthi five times, and he is now re presenting the AIADMK, after he crossed over in 2013.
AIADMK has never won Egmore in the assembly elections. The closest it came was in 2001, when John Pandian contested as an ally of the AIADMK and lost to Ellamvazhuthi by 86 votes. Pandian was arrested that year for an a r m e d at t a ck o n I l a m vazhuthi's election office, and a week after AIADMK came to power, Ilamvazhuthi was arrested on charges of attempt to murder.
Though DMDK is the incumbent, it is evident from DMK greenhorn K S Ravichandran’s door-to-door campaign that the real fight will be between the two old parties. Ravichandran, an advocate, walks through the streets filled with flags and banners of the party ally Congress, constantly reminding people that chief minister J Jayalalithaa never came to see them during the floods.
“The new roads laid on the main roads are an eyewash, they’ve done nothing for the interiors. Apart from civic issues, there are plenty of other problems such as people not getting pattas and old-age pensions,” he said.
In the last five years, some changes are visible in the constituency that is dotted with landmarks such as Egmore railway station, the museum and educational institutions. Pavements are being on Pantheon Road and Halls Road. “There has been no other development here,” says Giridhar S, a businessman.
“For years, we have had the same issues of traffic, water, electricity and sanitation. I am frustrated with all the political parties. NOTA is my only choice.”