Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections | O.S. Manian may find it tough to weave a success story in Vedaranyam

The political battle is hotting up in Vedaranyam, Nagapattinam district, as Handlooms and Textiles Minister O.S. Manian is taking over S.K. Vetharathinam, a former MLA, who’s now again in the DMK.

Unemployment and underemployment, issues confronted by small-scale salt producers and employees, the debilitating affect of Cyclones Gaja and Nivar, the issues confronted by fishermen from the Sri Lankan Navy, and absence of rail connectivity are the main points.

The work undertaken for opening the Veda Textile Park at Ayakkaranpulam in the Vedaranyam block, envisaging employment for 1000’s of individuals, is predicted to stem the exodus of employees from this backward space to Tiruppur and different western districts in search of livelihood.

But the issues being confronted by small-scale salt producers and employees are removed from over.

As many as 700 small-scale producers making salt on 3,400 acres confronted successive blows from the cyclones. They find it tough to get the help of the Central and State governments. Many producers, every with holdings between 5 and 10 acres of salterns, are but to clear the massive layer of clay that Cyclone Gaja deposited from the ocean in 2018.

“The District Industries Centre that undertook an elaborate study to implement a major relief and rehabilitation exercise is yet to reach out to the hundreds of small- scale producers,” says V. Senthil, secretary of the Vedaranyam Small Scale Salt Producers’ Association.

Farmers who’ve additionally been affected a lot by the cyclones hope for an enchancment in their lot from the institution of a mega meals park. Nearly 250 acres of land has been recognized at Vanduvanchery in the Vedaranyam taluk for the challenge by the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation Limited.

Fishermen, a main chunk of the voters, are searching for a answer to the periodic conflicts they get into with the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly trespassing the International Maritime Boundary Line.

Mr. Manian has stayed in join with the individuals via distribution of welfare help below authorities schemes. Mr. Vetharathinam, who returned to the DMK from the BJP final yr and who represented the constituency thrice in the previous, sees anti-incumbency working in his favour.

In 2016, regardless of Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigning for him, Mr. Vetharathinam completed third, behind Mr. Manian and the Congress heavyweight, P.V. Rajendran. However, he’s again with renewed vigour.

The different contestants who can minimize into their vote shares are from the Makkal Needhi Maiam, the Naam Tamilar Katchi and the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam.