ELECTIONS

The representatives of Federation of OMR Residents Associations (FOMRRA) came together on the afternoon of April 14th to listen to some of the candidates contesting for the Lok Sabha elections from Chennai South constituency. FOMRRA represents nearly three lakh households in gated communities, independent houses and small apartments. The candidates had been sent a set of key questions regarding water supply, sewage network and traffic management which have posed and continue to pose many challenges for the residents over the years. First to speak was Thamizhachi Thangapandian from the DMK. She acknowledged the questions sent to her but added that most…

P Nagarajan was a first time MP from the Coimbatore constituency in 2014, winning on an ADMK ticket. Coimbatore constituency consists of six assembly constituencies -- Singanallur, Sulur, Coimbatore South, Kavundampalayam, Palladam, Coimbatore North. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, P Nagarajan (AIADMK) defeated C P Radhakrishnan (BJP) by 42,016 votes. The constituency, with 17,20,221 voters, saw a voter turnout of 68.40 percent in the 2014 elections, of which Nagarajan secured 36.69 percent votes. P Nagarajan secured this victory on the back of a strong support base for his party in the Kongunad region of Tamil Nadu. [flexiblemap src="http://data.opencity.in/Data/Tamil-Nadu-Parliament-Constituency-Coimbatore-Map-V-1.kml" width="100%"…

Voting for election of the 17th Lok Sabha has started and will be conducted in seven phases in all, concluding on May 19th. And yes, in this magnificent exercise in the world's most populous democracy, it is crucial for every citizen to go out and vote. A high voter turnout puts the onus on elected representatives to discharge their duties and be held accountable for their action and inaction during their time in office. And yet, some of you may still be confused about the nitty gritty as well as the larger questions around the cast of your mandate. Here's a…

Bangalore Rural (parliamentary constituency number 23) comprises eight assembly constituencies - Anekal, Kunigal, Magadi, Ramanagaram, Kanakapura, Channapatna, Bangalore South and Rajarajeshwari Nagar. Bangalore South assembly constituency, comprising wards like Yelachenahalli, Begur and Anjanapura, should not be confused with the Bangalore South parliamentary constituency. Not yet in its teens, Bangalore Rural constituency was created during the delimitation in 2008. The current chief minister of Karnataka, H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S), was the first MP to be elected from this constituency, in 2009. Since 2013, D K Suresh of Congress has been the MP here. The demography of the constituency is largely…

With just two days to go for Phase 2 of the 17th Lok Sabha Polls, civic campaigns complement the Election Commission of India's back-to-back activities on creating awareness about the right to vote. As part of the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities by the Election Commission, Greater Chennai Corporation has organised various activities such as Parasailing, bike rally and workshops to reach out to the voters. The website of the Chief Electoral officer, Tamil Nadu is filled with awareness videos by eminent film personalities such as Vijay Sethupathi and Vivek. Created by the Election Commission, #MakeYourMarkTN is…

A two-time Lok Sabha MP representing Thiruvallur constituency, P Venugopal has been part of the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Venugopal (AIADMK) defeated Ravi Kumar (VCK) by 3,23,430 votes. The constituency, with 17,02,833 voters, had 73.67 percent voter turnout in the 2014 elections, of which Venugopal attained 50.01 percent votes.  P Venugopal has won the seat twice since the creation of the Thiruvallur constituency since the delimitation exercise in 2008. P Venugopal is seeking re-election to the 17th Lok Sabha as part of the grand alliance of AIADMK with BJP among other parties in…

D K Suresh is a two-time MP of Bangalore Rural parliamentary constituency. The 52-year-old was born in Doddaalahalli, Ramanagara. Suresh was first elected through a by-election in 2013 from Bangalore Rural, after sitting MP H D Kumaraswamy resigned. He was elected a second time in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Personal information Name: Doddaalahalli Kempegowda Suresh Age: 52 years Constituency: Bangalore Rural Party: Indian National Congress Term: 2013-2014, 2014-2019 Educational Qualifications: Higher Secondary School Profession: Businessperson, farmer, social worker, educationist Address: Doddalahalli, Kanakpura, Ramanagara District, Karnataka-562126 Phone: 9845029142 Email: dksuresh10@gmail.com Online presence: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DKSuresh.official/ Twitter: @DKSureshINC Criminal cases D K Suresh…

Kameela Nasser is an eloquent woman. A contestant from Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), Kameela’s confidence and firm grip over grassroots level issues are rare in a newcomer to politics. Contesting from Chennai Central Parliamentary constituency, Kameela is fighting it out against big names: PMK (alliance with AIADMK)’s Sam Paul and DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran. A film producer, and wife of character artist Nasser, Kameela has been part of Kamal Hassan’s MNM for over eight months now. In a detailed interview with Citizen Matters Chennai, Kameela talks about her life before politics, the campaign trial and the pressing concerns in the constituency of…

We have a lot of issues in our neighborhood that can be solved by good governance. We have learnt that the only way to make improvements is by steadily increasing accountability of those in power. Active, engaged, informed, and vigilant citizens who vote determine who gets in power and what the outcome is. We remain non partisan and will not tell you who to vote for. Having helped thousands in Mahadevpura get on the voter rolls this year, we now share a summary of the  very successful "Meet Your MP Candidates" event held on April 14, 2019.  Who are they and what did they say? Click here to read…

K N Ramachandran, a veteran of state politics was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Sriperumbudur constituency in 2014. Sriperumbudur constituency consists of six assembly constituencies -- Maduravoyal, Sriperumbudur, Alandur, Pallavaram, Ambattur, Tambaram. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, K N Ramachandran (AIADMK) defeated Jagathrakshagan (DMK) by 1,02,646 votes. The constituency, with 19,46,503 voters had 66.10% voter turnout in 2014 elections, of which K N Ramachandran attained 42.42% votes.  However, he is not in the fray for re-election to the 17th Lok Sabha. Personal Information Name: K N Ramachandran Age:     63 years Constituency: Sriperumbudur Address: 4/163,G.S.T.Road,Vandalur Otteri,Chennai-600 048 Name…