Sivaganga: advantage Congress or will the voters make a different choice?

Sivaganga Lok Sabha Constituency traditionally favors Congress; Karti Chidambaram seeks re-election against BJP and AIADMK candidates.

The electorate in the Sivaganga Lok Sabha Constituency has traditionally chosen candidates from the Congress more times than any other party.

Data from the past show P. Chidambaram of the Congress had won seven times here since 1984. His son and sitting MP Karti P. Chidambaram is seeking re-election.

The constituency, which has six Assembly segments, has 16.33 lakh voters. Barring Karaikudi in Sivaganga district, the remaining towns have not seen any tangible transformation in the last three to four decades. Though agriculture is the main source of employment, agro-based industries have not been established.

Karaikudi, an Assembly segment, has the famous Alagappa University, the Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), and a number of educational institutions. However, graduates from here have migrated to other cities and States, and even abroad, for better employment opportunities and higher education.

The Spices Park, which was established in Sivaganga district a decade ago with much fanfare, has not attracted many investors. While entrepreneurs have complained of poor infrastructure, farmers contend that processing facilities are available only for chilli and turmeric. They raise concerns over a high operational cost. Issues in logistics discourage people from making big investments here.

Though the constituency has a government law college and an agricultural college, which have recently come up here, people say the former should have been opened in Sivaganga and not in Karaikudi.

Mr. Karti Chidambaram has said during his campaign that he had raised several issues in Parliament. “Give a chance to the INDIA bloc; we will give a new meaning to the democratic fabric of the country and bring in development at a faster pace,” he says.