T.N. election 2026: Once a Chief Minister’s citadel, Srirangam constituency yearns for more infrastructure development

Srirangam Assembly constituency, the largest in Tiruchi district in terms of voter size, consists of a diverse mix of urban and rural population.

With a large temple town in the middle and rapid urbanization of its rural areas, the civil infrastructure in the constituency has been expanded to its limits in recent years.

The constituency covers the Srirangam island sandwiched between the Cauvery and Kollidam rivers and large semi-urban and rural areas falling under Andhanallur and Manikandam unions. Mutherayars are dominant in the constituency while Brahmins have a significant presence.

Srirangam was long perceived as a safe haven for the AIADMK – the constituency has returned AIADMK candidates nine times since 1977. DMK managed to make a breakthrough in 1996 and the party’s M. Palaniyandi plucked it from AIADMK again in 2021. Y. Venkateswara Dikshithar of Janata Party supported by DMK in 1989, electoral success.

The constituency was nurtured and nurtured by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa after she was elected from here in 2011. The recently opened new bus terminus in Srirangam and an additional flyover road over the Cauvery are major developments that the constituency has witnessed in the last five years.

In the last elections, the dispute between the Ranganathaswamy Temple management and a section of residents over ownership of properties around the temple continues to be the dominant issue in the polls.

“This is a vexing issue that has evaded resolution, leading to anger from many residents,” says Suresh Venkatachalam, president of Srirangam Nagara Nala Sangam.

“A queuing complex similar to the one in Tirupati is required for the Srirangam temple. We also need a separate tourist bus stand with all the necessary amenities. A dedicated sewage system is required for Uthira and Chithirai Veedhis. The Government Hospital in Srirangam needs new buildings, more manpower and modern equipment,” he says, listing various other problems in the constituency.

Observing that the arrival of tourists, especially spiritual tourists, has increased exponentially over the years, J. Anantha Padmanabhan, a long-time resident of the town, says that almost all their vehicles are now parked on the roadsides in different parts of the city. “A large parking lot for these vehicles is a must for the city.”

Thirumanjana Cauvery, an irrigation canal passing through the temple town of Srirangam, continues to bear the brunt of urban pollution due to sewage runoff and indiscriminate dumping of solid waste. “It is considered a sacred canal, but now it is facing the brunt of urban pollution,” he laments.

Road safety activist P. Ayyarappan points out that for residents living in the suburbs of the Tiruchi-Karur National Highway, frequent accidents in the area between the city and Pettavaithalai are a major concern. “Speedy construction of the Panjapur-Thindukkarai ring road can help reduce traffic volume and accidents,” he says.

Many of the suburbs along the highway also lack civic amenities. He added that villagers along the Karur highway also demanded a drivable bridge to reach the Tiruchi-Namakkal Highway near Mukkombu.

“Large agricultural areas are being converted into plots and emerging residential colonies are devoid of civic amenities. The proposal to develop a road from Puthur to Sunnambukaranpatti along the banks of Uyyakondan river should be implemented at the earliest as the narrow Valayur Road connecting the city and villages cannot accommodate the evolving traffic,” says N. Rajendran of Vayalur.

He adds that the Vayalur temple, which itself attracts a large number of devotees, does not even have a proper bus stand, access road and amenities like public toilets and drinking water supply.

A section of residents are demanding the construction of a check dam along Kollidam, between Vadukku Vasal and Nochiyam, to support the town’s water table and drinking water supplies.

“Jasmine and banana growers, who are sensitive to price fluctuations and exploitation by middlemen, are looking for industrial units that will provide value addition,” says Ayilai Sivasuriyan, district secretary of CPI-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam and a resident of Ayilapettai in the constituency.

Clearly voters yearn for a return to the glory days of care and development when a Prime Minister represented his constituency.

It was published – 24 March 2026 17:49 IST