All India Congress Committee women’s wing secretary S. Vijayadharani is pitted in a tough, multi-cornered contest this time in Vilavancode, even as she has to handle opposition within her party. It will not be a cakewalk this time for the sitting MLA, who is facing Bharatiya Janata Party’s State secretary C. Dharmaraj and Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s R. Chellaswamy.
The constituency had been a CPI (M) stronghold in the past and Mr. Dharmaraj is a popular local figure. Locals complain that Ms. Vijayadharani has not visited her constituency frequently in the last five years.
As the constituency is close to Kerala, it has a considerable chunk of Malayalee voters, who are expected to be the deciding factor. Malayalee children studying in government schools in border areas were forced to write the language examination in Tamil in SSLC last year but the problem has been solved temporarily after court intervention.
Rubber, cashew issues
As a majority of people are farmers in this constituency, dwindling price of rubber in the domestic market has affected them much. The price of rubber has come down to Rs. 70 per kg now. Similarly, workers of cashew nut processing units, mostly women, are in danger of losing their jobs due to increase in import duty for raw cashew. Due to this, many processing units are either downsizing their workforce or closing down.
Apart from this, brick kiln industry is facing shortage of clay. Desilting of ponds and waterbodies in this area will help the brick kiln units, industries feel.
Neyyar water
Another important issue is suspension of water release in Neyyar left canal by Kerala since 2004, which has severely affected the livelihood of farmers in Vilavancode taluk. Owing to absence of water supply, farmers had to curtail their agricultural operations.
Another pressing demand is the withdrawal of the Tamil Nadu Preservation of Private Forest Act extended to Kanyakumari district in 1979, which prohibits owners of notified areas from selling, mortgaging, leasing or alienating whole or a portion of their property. Due to this, small and marginal farmers are finding it difficult to sell, mortgage or lease their lands to meet urgent domestic needs.
After delimitation in 2009, quite a large number of areas from Tiruvattar Assembly segment was annexed with Vilavancode. The then Tiruvattar constituency consisted of a large number of Hindu votes, particularly Nairs.
The CPI (M) has won from Vilavancode in 1977, 1980, 1996, 2001 and 2006 and the Congress in 1984, 1989, 1991 and 2011. A total number of 18 candidates, including eight independents, are in the fray.
