Series: LS Elections 2019

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…

This election season, Factly.in has put together a series of videos that seeks to deconstruct various aspects of the massive democratic exercise to make every citizen aware of its history, processes, rules and other relevant information. In the first episode,  find answers to what happened in independent India’s first ever election, how elections have progressed, what the Election Commission of India has been getting right, where we are now and where we are headed. https://youtu.be/fwRl66BOoKs [This video series is produced by Factly as a part of the YouTube GNI Innovation Funding and has been republished here with permission. The summary…

Alagaapuram R Mohanraj, contesting from Chennai North Parliamentary constituency on a DMDK ticket, is optimistic: he feels all is well in the constituency. With barely six days left for the constituency to vote in the Lok Sabha elections, Mohanraj is on the streets for more than 13 hours a day, and the success of schemes implemented by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are a frequent refrain in his campaign speeches. The DMDK is part of the mega alliance with parties such as AIADMK, BJP and PMK. In a freewheeling interview, Mohanraj, a former Salem MLA,…

“We want policies and schemes that are people centric, not nominal ones that our elected representatives decide,” say volunteers of Chittoor People’s Action Committee (CPAC). CPAC is a pro-active citizen movement and the voice of the people in Chittoor, a city crying out for basic amenities and infrastructure.   CPAC has interacted with more than 5000 citizens from Chittoor, Gangadhara Nellore and Puthalapattu constituencies, to deliver a data-centric, in-depth citizens' manifesto.  The manifesto is the end product of various surveys and workshops such as Nenu Bharath Aithe (inspired from a political drama movie starring Mahesh Babu). The volunteers of CPAC…

April 16 Tight security across the city ahead of Mangaluru polls Security across Mangaluru city has been beefed up ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The police have identified 220 vulnerable polling booths in 93 areas. 501 intimidators were nabbed from these pockets. Central Armed Forces will provide security at 156 among the 220 booths identified as vulnerable and critical; micro observers and video observers have been deployed at the others. Meet this 105-year-old poll enthusiast from Chennai A 105-year-old voter from Anna Nagar with firm belief in democracy wants to vote. C Balasubramanian has strong political views and urges…

Secunderabad parliamentary constituency is comprised of seven assembly constituencies — Musheerabad, Amberpet, Khairatabad, Jubilee Hills, Sanathnagar, Nampally and Secunderabad.The constituency has seen both Congress and BJP MPs in the recent past, with Congress winning the seat in 2009 and BJP in 2014. With AIMIM backing the TRS, the constituency is set to see a tight three way contest this elections. A total of 28 candidates are contesting from Hyderabad parliamentary constituency, according to the Election Commission of India website. ECI has rejected  applications to the constituency. According to the latest rolls from the Chief Electoral Officer Telangana, the constituency has…

With the Lok Sabha elections right around the corner, Citizen Matters caught up with Prashanth Goutham of Arappor Iyakkam. In this freewheeling discussion with Meenakshi Ramesh, Prashanth details the roles and responsibilities of an MP and what voters must look for in deciding on the ideal candidate. https://youtu.be/Zm0bKsPxqIE [Meenakshi Ramesh anchors the Chennai edition of Citizen Matters and is actively involved in many civic initiatives. She can be reached at meenakshi@citizenmatters.in]

How should one go about voting in an election? This seems quite a bewildering challenge for some voters unless they have already made up their mind on whom or which party to vote. The manifestos of both the major parties are out. In case the promises they are making and their track record of delivering on previous manifestos hasn’t helped you decide, read on. For those still undecided, this article may give you some guidance on making an informed choice. Let us first begin by understanding the role of a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP),the nature of our democracy…

Hyderabad parliamentary constituency is comprised of seven assembly constituencies -- Yakutpura, Charminar, Karwan, Chandrayangutta, Goshamahal, Malakpet and Bahadurpura. The constituency has been a bastion of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) since 1984 and the incumbent MP is seeking a fourth term here. All the six assembly segments except Goshamahal has a dominant Muslim population. Being the capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the constituency holds greater importance. “With a majority of Muslim population and a sizeable Hindu and Christian population, Hyderabad constituency is culturally and economically diverse. It is a hub for the IT and manufacturing sectors in the…

The Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme was introduced in 1993 to enable MPs to create useful community assets in their constituencies. Currently, each MP is allotted Rs 5 crore per year, that is, Rs 25 crore per term which is a substantial sum of public money to be placed at the disposal of an individual. MPs are expected to recommend projects based on local needs and the district authority is made responsible for due diligence, approval, selection of implementation agency and execution. The Government of India releases directly to the district authority the annual entitlement of Rs 5…