The largest constituency in Tamil Nadu in terms of electorate, Sriperumbudur is set to witness a battle among T.R. Baalu, a heavyweight and former Union Minister, and two newcomers — Dr. A. Vaithilingam of the PMK and advocate P. Sridhar of the Makkal Needhi Maiam.
Often dubbed ‘India's Shenzhen’, the constituency is largely urban, while within the Sriperumbudur area, many villages dot the landscape, with infrastructure and water woes topping voters’ grievances.
A number of flyovers remain incomplete, including the ones at Pallavaram, Perungalathur, Kelambakkam junction and the Port - Maduravoyal elevated corridor. Long-pending demands for road overbridges and foot overbridges remain unfulfilled, while road and traffic conditions are far from ideal.
Voters in the constituency also want the widening of the Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road and a better sewerage network.
“We don’t have any water here. Also, there are frequent power cuts at night and in the morning,” says Egavalli, a roadside vendor at Mannur.