The Dindigul Assembly constituency in Dindigul district has remained an AIADMK stronghold for at least a decade now. This time around there will be a straight battle between AIADMK and DMK and an intense battle is on the cards.

Senior AIADMK leader Dindigul C. Srinivasan who had emerged victorious in 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections from the Dindigul Assembly constituency will lock horns with the DMK’s I.P. Senthil Kumar, son of Senior DMK leader I. Periyasamy.

Mr. Senthil Kumar who was elected from the Palani Assembly constituency in the district in 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections will be contesting for the first time from the Dindigul Assembly constituency. It was said that a strong candidate has been chosen for the Assembly constituency for the battle instead of giving it to any alliance party in order to break the strong hold of the AIADMK in the district headquarters.

Both the incumbents will be keen on scoring their hat-trick, outperforming the other and proving their mettle. The two Dravidian parties are leaving no stone unturned and are going all out in the election campaign in order to achieve success. Also in the fray are S. Mutharasi of the Naam Tamilar Katchi and G. Nazeerraja of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

For the residents of Dindigul Assembly constituency, civic woes have turned into a recurring problem. They feel that the town planning has been poor and Dindigul Corporation has been expanding only for namesake and without providing the necessary infrastructure.

Despite being district headquarters, there was a lot to be done, the residents said. They complain of issues pertaining to drinking water and underground drainage systems. The works were yet to be completed in many wards. The situation gets worse when it rains. The city is left inundated and sewage overflows. Whenever a complaint is made, there is only a temporary solution and never a permanent solution, they said.

The Gandhi Vegetable Market remains congested. The city was choking with traffic congestion and parking issues. Encroachments were not being removed and it added to the already existing woes. There were also issues pertaining to solid waste management and garbage disposal, the residents said.

Another major issue that needed to be addressed was the establishment of an integrated bus terminus. The Kamarajar bus stand is unable to handle the present load with the increasing number of bus services.

One section of the people want the bus stand to be expanded into a bus terminus, while the others said there was a need for an even bigger place to establish a modern bus stand. However, an alternative place that was suggested in Pallapatti panchayat has also been met with protests following environmental concerns.

Associate Professor P. Ravichandran of the GTN Arts College (Autonomous), Dindigul, pointed out the lack of industrial clusters and industries in Dindigul that has led to youngsters moving out in search of better employment opportunities.

Dindigul is known by several sobriquets and the most well known among them was the ‘City of Locks’. However, the lock industry has gone silent for a while now. The locks are durable and should have been better marketed to revive it, Mr. Ravichandran said.

The textile cluster and weaving industry had also gone down in the area, while the number of tanneries had decreased mainly due to environmental concerns and the high cost of setting up the treatment plants. The workers have sought other jobs. However, all was not lost. There was scope for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and focus should shift to setting up such units, he said.

H. Rajesh Kannan of the Tamil Nadu Consumer Protection Centre, Dindigul, said there was a need for better infrastructure facilities. He stressed the need for flyovers and over bridges. They were required to tackle the traffic congestion, he said.

Similarly, he highlighted the need for frequent bus services to the interior pockets. Street lights, medians and public toilets facilities were some of the other demands highlighted by the people. They also stressed on the installation of CCTV cameras in key areas for better monitoring and proper fencing along the railway lines.

With regard to the tourism sector, the people said there should be better facilities in and around the iconic Dindigul Rock Fort so that there was a higher footfall. There is also a demand for a Government Law College in Dindigul.