The Lok Sabha constituencies, falling within the Cauvery delta area of the State, have all the time recorded increased turnout than the State’s common, because the delimitation in 2008.
4 Lok Sabha elections have taken place within the final 16 years, together with Friday’s (April 19) polling. On all of the events — in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 — the turnout of Karur, Mayiladuthurai, Perambalur, and Chidambaram, was increased than the general common of the State. Dindigul, within the southern area, was one other constituency that scored forward of the State’s common, on a regular basis.
This is among the foremost findings of a research of the voter turnout knowledge, in a single third of the whole variety of 39 constituencies, within the State. Along with the 5 constituencies, eight others — South Chennai, Sriperumbudur, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tenkasi — have been chosen for the research. Chidambaram, Nilgiris and Tenkasi are the constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).
Acquainted faces
One of many components that contributed to the constant efficiency of the seats is the presence of well-known candidates. For instance, until 2019, the AIADMK’s veteran, M. Thambi Durai, was fielded in Karur. By defeating him final time, S. Jothimani got here to be referred to as an enormous killer. As for Chidambaram, the VCK’s founder, Thol Thirumavalavan, contested in all of the 4 elections. Besides in 2009, when movie actor-turned-politician D. Napoleon was within the fray, Perambalur, within the final three polls, had the 82-year-old patriarch of the SRM Group of Establishments and the Indiya Jananayaka Katchi (IJK)’s founder, T.R. Paarivendhar, as considered one of its candidates.
Quite the opposite, South Chennai and Sriperumbudur, each within the northern area of the State, have been beneath par, along with Coimbatore. The truth is, South Chennai this time, was on the penultimate spot, by way of turnout. All of the three are elector-heavy constituencies, with the dimensions exceeding the 20-lakh electors. Being primarily city constituencies, in addition they endure from the issue of the presence of ASD (Absent, Shifted and Deceased) electors within the rolls. Tenkasi can also be a part of this group of poor performers.
Dharmapuri, one of many economically-backward areas within the nation, recorded increased turnout in three out of 4 polls, whereas Vellore and the Nilgiris belonged to the “50:50” class. Solely as soon as, Madurai witnessed increased turnout than the State’s common and that was in 2009, when M.Ok. Alagiri, a son of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, was the DMK nominee and, on election, he went on to change into a Union Minister.