Lok Sabha Elections 2019: All you need to know about Tamil Nadu

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Updated: Mar 10, 2019 22:08 IST

The 2019 Lok Sabha elections are set to see a fierce battle between two fronts led by AIADMK and DMK in Tamil Nadu, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi set to raise the heat further with their support to the respective alliances.

The Lok Sabha elections will be held in 7 phases starting April 11. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

The ruling AIADMK will look to hold on to as many seats as it can in the elections. Without its former stalwart the late Jayalalithaa, the party is being led by chief minister Edapaddi Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam.

The two leaders have struck an alliance pact with Narendra Modi-Amit Shah led BJP and the Vanniyar party PMK of S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss.

The party will face a strong opposition from DMK which has been out of power for several years in the state. Led by MK Stalin — after his father and the party’s one of the most tallest leader, M Karunanidhi died — the party has struck an alliance with 8 parties, including Congress, VCK, MDMK and CPI.

The two fronts were in a tight contest to rope in actor Vijayakanth’s DMDK, which is seen to have a strong presence in the state.

Both the Dravidian majors are contesting much less seats in the Lok Sabha than it used to.

Vijayakanth’s fellow actor Kamal Hassan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) has also thrown its hat into the fray, and hopes to make a start in electoral politics.

Polling dates: April 18

Date of counting: May 23

Ruling party in the state: AIADMK

Number of Lok Sabha seats: 39

Party-wise break-up

AIADMK: 37

BJP: 1

PMK: 1

Number of voters in the state: 5.86 crore

Voter turnout in 2014: 73.67%

Number of Assembly Seats: 234 (+1 nominated)

Party-wise breakup

AIADMK: 114

DMK: 88

Congress: 8

IUML: 1

Others: 1 (TTV Dhinakaran)

Nominated: 1

Speaker: 1

Vacant: 21 (Deceased 2, Disqualified TTV Supporters 18, AIADMK minister Balakrishna Reddy disqualified following conviction)

Key Leaders

AIADMK: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), Deputy CM, O Panneerselvam, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai

BJP: State president Tamilisai Soundarrajan, Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan

PMK: Anbumani Ramadoss

MNM: Kamal Hassan

DMK: MK Stalin, party president, his half-sister Kanimozhi, treasurer Duraimurugan, former Minister TR Balu and A Raja

Congress: P Chidambaram, TNCC president KS Alagiri, former TNCC presidents EVKS Elangovan, Su Thirunavukkarasar, Peter Alphonse, Kushbu Sundar

AMMK: TTV Dhinakaran

VCK: Thol Thirumavalavan

MDMK: Vaiko

DMDK: Vijayakanth, his wife Premalatha

Key Issues

Cauvery water sharing dispute: Water sharing dispute with Karnataka and the neighbouring state’s plans to construct a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu in which the Centre is seen as siding with it is a live issue.

Tardy cyclone relief: After Vardah which battered Chennai and Ockhi, which ravaged Kanniyakumari district where nearly 100 fishermen went missing, cyclone Gaja has pounded Cauvery delta districts. The PM has neither visited the cyclone-hit region nor extended liberal financial assistance. While the state government sought Rs 15,000 crore, the Centre has sanctioned around Rs 1000 crore in instalments.

Thoothukudi firing on anti-Sterlite protesters: 13 people died after police opened indiscriminate firing upon a massive procession to the district collectorate to press for the closure of Sterlite’s copper smelter plant on the grounds of causing pollution.

Protests against mega projects: Farmers are up in arms against methane extraction project in the Cauvery delta, 8-Lane Greenfield Express Way between Chennai and Salem, Power Transmission Line in the Western region as well the Neutrino Project in the Western Ghats near Theni.

Prohibition: In Tamil Nadu, the state government is engaged in retail sale of liquor (IMFL). Revenue for liquor sale is more than Rs 26,000 crore per annum and this is what bankrolls the government’s freebie programmes. Popular protests continue across the state for closure of liquor shops.