Almost 60 per cent of the acreage under coconut in Tirupur district comes under Udumalpet and Madathukulam Assembly constituencies and hence, one of the challenges for the candidates will be to answer a series of queries lined up for them from the farmers.
Farmers’ community are of the view that elected representatives did very little to hear the grievances once the elections were over and there were not much constructive suggestions/action plans seen in the manifestos to support the interest of coconut farmers.
According to official statistics, around 32,000 ha of coconut are raised in Udumalpet and Madathukulam constituencies. “We have been asking for permission to tap neera and there should be more government support to protect the prices of coconut and copra,” pointed out S. Selvaraj, a prominent coconut farmer who recently launched a coconut growers’ company at Udumalpet.
Farmers in general are also disappointed that de-silting of Amaravathi Dam and Thirumoorthy Dam has not been taken up to improve the water holding capacity. More water will help improve the wetting cycles along PAP canal, the farmers opined.
Other demands of people include improvement of roads in Udumalpet town, increasing the frequency of drinking water supplies in rural areas of both the constituencies.
Even though there are many political parties in the fray, with each of them fancying their chances of victories, it looks that the main contest would be between the AIADMK and DMK candidates as was the case since 1989.
Poll history
A glance through electoral history of Udumalpet indicate that AIADMK candidates had won on six occasions out of the 14 elections held and DMK men won on four times.
Congress won thrice and an Independent was triumphant once.
In the only election held last time at Mdathukulam, the AIADMK candidate won.
