Jobs, farming, welfare: What voters in Edappadi want ahead of Tamil Nadu polls

As Tamil Nadu gets ready for the state Assembly elections later this year, the Edappadi constituency in Salem district is getting a lot of political attention.

Currently, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the former Chief Minister and leader of the AIADMK, represents the constituency. This makes it a key battleground in the upcoming election.

For many residents, bread-and-butter issues such as employment, agriculture and welfare schemes are taking precedence over party loyalty. Locals say the lack of industries has forced many to seek work outside the constituency, highlighting the need for stronger industrial development.

According to a local resident named Santhanam, "We want businesses to be set up here. There are no industries here. It would have been great if Palaniswami had established industries here. People go to other places in search of jobs. Many buses come from Perunthurai, Erode areas to take labourers from here for cotton mills. If we have industries like that, it would be great."

Agriculture remains the backbone of the local economy, but farmers say they are grappling with multiple challenges, including labour shortages, inadequate storage facilities and low returns.

"Our first challenge is finding labourers. We don't have enough storage facilities too. Even if we safeguard the crops, we neither get good price nor any government subsidy. Minimum support price for paddy is too low, that's problem for us," said Dinesh another local resident

Meanwhile, not all voters express dissatisfaction. Some residents credit Palaniswami for infrastructure development in the constituency, while also acknowledging welfare measures introduced by the current DMK government led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.

Another local resident, Pushpa, compared the contributions of both Palaniswami and Stalin by saying, "He (Edappadi Palaniswami) laid roads, gave water connection to every household. If they have to do something for the people, it was to give us money for votes. Distribution of rice and dal is nothing special, it happens always. Bus was not free then after he (Stalin) came to power, they made it free. There was not money given to people during his (Palaniswami) regime. He gave Rs 2500 once but after Stalin government came, they gave us Rs 4000. It is Stalin who gave us more."

With Tamil Nadu set to vote later this year, Edappadi is poised to serve as a litmus test for whether voters will reaffirm their support for the AIADMK stronghold or lean toward the welfare-driven appeal of the DMK government.