NAMAKKAL: Namakkal district, known for its poultry and transport industries, has six Assembly constituencies - Rasipuram, Senthamangalam (Reserved), Namakkal (Reserved), Tiruchengode, Sankagiri (Reserved) and Kabilar Malai.

The All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is contesting in five constituencies, leaving the Kabilarmalai segment to its ally Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam . The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is contesting from Rasipuram, Senthamangalam, Tiruchengode and Sankagiri, leaving the Kabilarmalai segment to the Pattali Makkal Katchi and Namakkal to the Congress.

In four Assembly segments, the AIADMK and the DMK are locked in a direct contest. The AIADMK has fielded new faces in four constituencies and the sitting MLA of Rasipuram P.R. Sundaram has been re-nominated. Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan, who was elected from the Tiruchengode constituency, was denied the ticket this time. He was also removed from the chairmanship of the party presidium soon after the brief interim budget session.

Among the four DMK candidates, except S. Gandhiselvan (Tiruchengode) and V.P. Duraisamy (Sankagiri), the remaining two are new faces.

The people are demanding improvement of water supply and roads, construction of bridges across the Cauvery, laying of Salem-Karur railway line and establishment of cold storage facility for poultry farmers.

Voters, particularly those in rural areas, are seeking the speedy implementation of water schemes, including the Pattanam-Seerapalli Combined Water Supply scheme, which will ensure adequate supply to a number of villages.

The Namakkal poultry industry, which employs lakhs of people, is demanding the establishment of a cold storage facility. This demand has gained strength following the recent bird flu outbreak in the country. The sudden collapse of the industry following the bird flu scare and its gradual revival need the Government's support, they say.

The people demand the construction of bridges across the Cauvery at Mohanur, Kokkarayanpattai near Pallipalayam and Paramathivelur and implementation of the Salem-Karur railway line project.

The truck industry is for setting up an Auto Nagar on the outskirts of Namakkal. Formation of ring roads around the Namakkal and Tiruchengode to ease traffic congestion is another key demand.

"Upgrade hospital"

In the Kabilar Malai segment, voters want the Government hospital at Paramathi Velur upgraded and a new research centre for sugarcane, banana and betel leaves set up.

AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa has just entered this region as part of her State-wide campaign, while DMK chief M. Karunanidhi will be touring these areas a little later. The district has 12,50,853 voters (Men - 6,12,785 and women - 6,38,068). The Tiruchengode constituency has the maximum number of voters — 2,92,959. The total number of voters in other constituencies: Rasipuram - 1,85,630, Senthamangalam- 1,81,864, Namakkal - 2,09,077, Kabilarmalai - 1,71,404 and Sankagiri - 2,09,919.

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