Key Contests : Master Mathan vs R Prabhu
MANDATE 2004/ LS CONSTITUENCY WATCH - Tamil Nadu
| The economy in picturesque Nilgiris, with three Assembly constituencies in the plains of Coimbatore and three in the hills, is mainly dependent on plantations, with over 200,000 tea growers and an identical number of workers in the estates. |
| The issue of tea prices played a major role in swinging the electorate in favour of the AIADMK, dislodging the majority of legislators of the then ruling DMK in the 2001 Assembly elections. |
| But discontent and displeasure are clearly evident among growers and dependent workers, against the Centre and state government, for not taking concrete steps to solve the crisis, though Master Mathan, seeking a third term, had promised to get a "good price" for the green leaves. |
| The constituency will witness a straight fight between Mathan and former Union minister and Congress war-horse, R Prabhu, who is putting all his might into recapturing it, once considered his citadel. |
| Though a subsidy of Rs 2 for green leaves was announced by the government before the announcement of polls, it had not reached the growers, said Madappan, a tea grower in Kothagiri, in the Coonoor Assembly constituency. A large number of growers are apprehensive over whether the subsidy would be paid or not and also that it would continue after the elections. |
| Estate workers are willing to support any party, which gives an assurance of solving their problems higher wages, Rajasekharan of Coonoor says. Exploiting the issue, Prabhu's campaign pitch is that he would make efforts to get a "right price" for tea and solve the crisis, once voted to power. |
| However, Mathan's campaign centres around possibility of his becoming a minister if National democratic Alliance (NDA) returns to power, enabling him to find a permanent solution to the problem. |
| The claims by the NDA that it would return to power has given an added advantage to Mathan. Another factor, believed to be favouring Mathan is the presence of people from his community, Badagas, who form 40 per cent of over 1.3 million electorate and are concentrated in hill constituencies. |
| They have long been demanding Scheduled Tribe status, which could become a reality, if Mathan is elected and becomes minister. |
| Another problem facing aspirants is the closure of Hindustan Photo Films, resulting in loss of employment for nearly 10,000 families. Nearly 95 per cent of them are native communities of Udhagamandalam. Tamil Nadu BJP treasurer SR Seghar said the party, if voted to power, would order an inquiry into the closure of HPF. |
| Though tea growers and workers are expected to be a major contributing factor, about 60 per cent of voters in the plains of Thondamuthur, Avanashi and Mettupalayam Assembly segments could pro-ve decisive to candidates' fortunes. |
| Prabhu's reported remarks that he did not want Thondamuthur Congress legislator and former Union minister SR Balasubramanian's help to win has caused some heartburn among his supporters. |
| Though Mathan is credited with doing some good work in the constituency, about 350,000 votes are expected to be divided among candidates, with some advantage to Prabhu. |
| In Mettupalayam, AIADMK legislator AK Selvaraj has a good rapport with about 210,000 voters, a major chunk being Vokkaligas, farmers by profession. But acute water crisis and stoppage of free power supply to farmers may prove disadvantageous to the ruling party candidate. |
| A majority of about 197,000 voters in the reserved Avanashi constituency, which has an AIADMK legislator are traders, weavers, Dalits, workers and farmers. They are apparently not happy with the state government's performance. |
| Besides,a large Muslim population of more than 100,000 in the Nilgiris, which had stood with AIADMK has turned against it for the anti-conversion Bill and in particular, allying with the BJP. |