Sivaganga Lok Sabha election 2024: This time, the South Indian state is all set to witness a three-way contest between the respective blocs headed by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which is in alliance with Congress, pitted against arch-rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), besides the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Congress named Karti Chidambaram in the first Tamil Nadu list from the Sivaganga constituency while AIADMK announced the name of A Xavierdas and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chose D Devanathan Yadav as their candidate for Sivaganga seat.
In 2019, the DMK-led bloc registered a historic win in Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, along with the lone Puducherry segment, giving a major advantage to the Congress-led UPA at the Centre.
Since then, 40-40 has been the mantra of the DMK and its allies to enthuse their cadre. On the other hand, a resurgent BJP, led by K Annamalai in the state, is going all out this time to end its political drought and register victory on as many seats as possible.
Crorepati candidates
Affidavits filed before the Returning Officer at Sivaganga Parliamentary constituency revealed that candidates of all three major parties- Congress, BJP and the AIADMK, are crorepatis.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance won 38 of 39 seats in the state. While the DMK won 24 seats, the Congress got 8, CPI and CPI(M) two seats each, and VCK and IUML ended with one seat each. On the other hand, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) managed to get only one seat- which went to the AIADMK, while other parties, including the BJP, failed to open their account in the poll-bound state.
Sivaganga constituency
This seat was once a stronghold of former finance minister and veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram. In the 2019 polls, his son Karti Chidambaram trounced BJP National Secretary H Raja with a big majority of around 3.3 lakh votes.
Karti Chidambaram
Karti P Chidambaram, son of veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram, secured victory from Sivaganga in 2019 and has been entrusted with the responsibility again for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on April 16.
Congress alliance with I.N.D.I.A bloc
In Tamil Nadu, Congress is in alliance with I.N.D.I.A bloc parties including DMK, CPI, CPM, VCK, and MDMK among other parties. After negotiations, DMK allotted nine seats for Congress in the state.
This week, DMK released the candidate list and the manifesto of the party. The manifesto promised that once I.N.D.I.A bloc forms the government at the Centre then they will amend the constitution in a manner that states receive autonomy, the Governors must be appointed after obtaining the approval of the Chief Minister of the state and section 361 which grants maximum power to the governors, will be removed.
In 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the DMK alliance swept the polls. The combine secured a massive win by bagging 38 of 39 seats. AIADMK bagged the Theni constituency alone.
What happened in 2019?
Karti P Chidambaram of Congress was the winning candidate from the Sivaganga constituency, in the Lok Sabha elections 2019, securing 5,66,104 votes while 2,33,860 votes were polled in favour of H Raja of BJP. H Raja lost by 3,32,244 votes.
When polling will be held in Tamil Nadu?
Voting for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in the first phase of the general elections on April 19. In the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, comprising the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, registered a landslide victory, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state. In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with a 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with a 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won two seats in Tamil Nadu.
The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4.
