Krishnagiri, which shares borders with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, constitutes areas with varying degrees of exposure to the governments at the Centre and in the State. The Lok Sabha election has set off the narrative of anti-incumbency with not just the State, but also with the Centre – quite pronounced for a rural district.
The paralysing impact of Goods and Services Tax and demonetisation on the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises of Hosur; unplanned infrastructure and the housing woes vis-a-vis a disproportionately expanding Hosur; the drought in Bargur and Uthangarai Assembly segments; and the daily protests for drinking water in the face of an erratic Hogenakkal drinking water scheme are some of the issues that plague the Krishnagiri Lok Sabha constituency.
Against this backdrop, the constituency will witness a face-off between the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate K.P. Munusamy, a local, and Congress candidate A. Chellakumar, a rank outsider. But, displeasure against Mr. Munusamy overshadows the son-of-the-soil factor.
Mr. Munusamy had raised the first banner of revolt against Sasikala, who briefly headed the AIADMK after the death of Jayalalithaa. He also played a crucial role in the now AIADMK coordinator O. Paneerselvam coming out against her. Yet, for a person with such clout, charges of non-performance mar his candidature.
Belonging to the Vanniyar community, his brief tenure as a Minister from 2011, and as an MLA up to 2016, is dubbed as unremarkable. Seen as fiercely cliquish, Mr. Munusamy’s run has already set off opposition in pockets of his own town of Kaveripattinam.
In the 2016 Assembly elections, he was pushed to an alien Pennagaram constituency in Dharmapuri, where he came third.
In contrast to the turf war in the AIADMK in the constituency, factionalism in the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been temporarily set aside.
The Congress’ Dr. Chellakumar contested unsuccessfully in 2014 from Krishnagiri and ended fourth.
Backed by the local unit of the DMK and riding on the strength of the alliance, he is now banking on the constituency’s traditional Congress vote bank.
The Lok Sabha seat is constituted by Krishnagiri, Bargur, Uthangarai (Reserved), Thally, Veppanapalli, and Hosur Assembly segments. Of these, Krishnagiri, Thally, Uthangarai have a considerable Muslim population. Uthangarai (reserved) is expected to vote against an alliance of which the Pattali Makkal Katchi is a part. The DMK MLA of Krishnagiri and the Muslim population are expected to throw their lot behind Dr. Chellakumar and make it difficult for the rival camp.
Thally Assembly segment, now held by the DMK, is the most backward constituency and a Communist Party of India stronghold. Thally’s former MLA Thally Ramachandran of the CPI (who had won earlier as an independent, when denied a ticket) and its present DMK MLA Y. Prakash wield considerable clout.
The Hosur Assembly seat (with the largest voter strength) will face a byelection, which is expected to influence the voting for the Lok Sabha seat as well.
The seat was recently vacated by Balakrishna Reddy after he was convicted in a case of rioting.
A ticket was given to his wife Jyothi Balakrishna Reddy, riling other aspirants.
He is said to have appointed people of the Reddy community to local posts, thereby earning the wrath of Naidus, Gowdas and Kurumbas in rural Hosur that shares the border with Karnataka.
Added to this, Mr. Munusamy’s perceived disconnect with a Telugu-Kannada dominated rural Hosur, and a cosmopolitan urban Hosur, would determine voting.
AMMK, MNM and Naam Tamizhar Katchi candidates are also in the fray.