The Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha constituency comprises six assembly segments — Kanniyakumari, Nagercoil, Colachal, Padmanabhapuram, Vilavancode, Killiyoor. The current MP is Vijay Vasanth of the Indian National Congress who was elected in the 2021 by-poll. He was preceded by H Vasanthakumar of the Congress. Kanniyakumari will vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on April 19 and results will be out on June 4.
Voting Factors
Stronghold of National Parties: Kanniyakumari has always been the stronghold of national parties as Congress and BJP hold more sway here than the DMK and its Dravidian politics. Former chief minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi was renowned for his statement: “Nellai enadhu ellai; Kumari enadhu thollai”, which translates to “Tirunelveli is my limit, and Kanyakumari is my trouble”. This phrase highlighted the struggle Dravidian parties encountered in making inroads into regions dominated by national parties.
Religion Dominates Caste: Religion is a stronger factor than caste in Kanniyakumari elections. The constituency has a significant Christian population (along with Hindus), and parties often campaign based on religious affiliations. The Nadar community, a Hindu group with a sizeable presence in Kanniyakumari, has its own history of fighting against social discrimination. This has led to a focus on broader social issues over caste-based politics.
Congress Stronghold: Kanniyakumari has traditionally been a Congress bastion in the state of Tamil Nadu, but in the last few decades, the BJP has made deep inroads in the constituency. This is owed primarily to the polarisation of Hindu votes, the BJP’s push for development and popular BJP leader P Radhakrishnan. The incumbent Congress candidate, Vijay Vasant, is confronting significant anti-incumbency sentiment due to his failure to fulfil several election pledges. His MPLADS funds remain largely underutilised with only about Rs 2 crore spent out of an allocation of Rs 10 crore, according to the MPLADS website. However, his alliance with the DMK could potentially bolster his chances of securing victory once again. Interestingly, Vasant is reportedly one of the key financiers of the Congress party in Tamil Nadu as he runs his father’s business Vasanth & Co. An actor, he is also the cousin of BJP leader and now Governor Tamilisai Sounderrajan.
Modi Magic at Work? PM Modi’s visit to the constituency will play a role in attracting voters. Moreover, the party’s state leadership has a dynamic leader in Annamalai who may appeal to the sentiment of voters. According to Annamalai, if a BJP candidate is voted to power in 2024, he will be granted the position of a Union cabinet minister. BJP is yet to announce its candidate. But Pon Radhakrishnan remains a popular figure. He was a minister in Vajpayee cabinet and also served as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Shipping between May 2014 and May 2019. Referred to as “Ponnar” in the constituency, the leader is known for development work. During Vajpayee’s tenure, the four-lane bypass to Kanniyakumari was constructed under his auspices. Additionally, Parvathipuram and Marthandam bridges were also erected under Ponnar’s leadership. It’s worth noting that Pon Radhakrishnan effectively utilised his entire allocation of Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLADS) Scheme funds, amounting to approximately Rs 25 crore, throughout his tenure from 2014 to 2019. Contrast this with incumbent MP Vijay Vasanth, whose MPLADS funds remain under-utilised.
Shifting Loyalties: Vilavancode Congress MLA Vijayadharani has jumped ship to the BJP. In 2021 assembly elections, she had won the seat with a margin of 28,669 votes. She is pinning hopes on a Lok Sabha ticket from the BJP and could bring a chunk of Congress votes with her. She had quit the Congress as the high command did not heed to her demands for a ticket in the Lok Sabha election.
Local Connect: In the last urban local body polls in the state, DMK had won the bulk of the seats. But most of the BJP’s victories came from Kanniyakumari. Half of the corporation seats that it won are in this district alone. Similarly, 168 of the 230 seats it won in town panchayats were also in Kanniyakumari.
Voter Demographics:
● Total number of voters (2019): 1493509
● Urban: 1,230,651 (82.4%)
● Rural: 262,858 (17.6%)
● Literacy rate: 82.8%
Voters by Caste (Approximate):
● SC: 59,740 (4%)
● ST: 5,974 (0.4%)
Voters by Religion (2011 Census):
● Muslim: 4.2%
● Christian: 46.85%
● Hindu: 50%
Key Constituency Issues
Religious Polarisation: Recent elections have seen a rise in communal polarisation, with the Hindu majority (51%) and Christian minority (44%) potentially influencing voting patterns. Nadar Hindus are a key constituency of the BJP in Kanniyakumari. The constituency also has a significant Christian population, mainly from the fishing community, which has historically supported the Congress and its allies. DMK scion Udhayanidhi Stalin’s “eradicate Sanatan” controversy is likely to have some effect in the seat. It has rubbed Hindus of Kanniyakumari the wrong way and may drive them away from the INC-DMK alliance, in favour of the BJP. However, a consolidation of Christian and Muslim vote can also be seen.
Fishermen’s issues: The presence of Christian fishermen communities along the coastal areas has been a major factor influencing the voting patterns. In the last election, a controversy arose that approximately 40,000 to 45,000 fishermen were deliberately left out from the electoral list. They asserted that their names were struck off the voter list just days before polling day. This controversy had also served to coalesce support against Pon Radhakrishnan. Considering Kanniyakumari’s large coastal population, fishing-related issues become important. Fishermen from Kanniyakumari don’t often go fishing near Sri Lanka so they do not face issues caused by Lankan Navy actions. However, they have faced issues with erratic weather etc. During Cyclone Okhi and the 2018 Kerala Floods, Kanniyakumari was also badly hit. Fishermen have been seeking a permanent helicopter pad to help with rescue of fishermen during disasters and accidents in high seas.
Port Terminal at Colachel: A proposed transhipment container terminal at the historic Colachel Port has drawn severe criticism from the local population. They allege the facility will impact their livelihoods and the environment. Fishermen feared displacement and disruption to their fishing areas. This was a major factor that led to Pon Radhakrishnan’s defeat in 2019.
Illegal quarrying: Several complaints have arisen about illegal quarrying in the region. In Kanniyakumari, illegal quarrying operations have been underway with the collusion of officials, according to a petitioner in the Madras High Court. In February this year, the high court sought a detailed report from the district collector, considering the seriousness of the matter. The operations have reduced the quality of life of residents living in the vicinity of the quarrying sites. BJP leader Annamalai has alleged that state minister Mano Thangaraj is involved in smuggling of ore from Tamil Nadu to Kerala.
Rights of Plantation Workers: Kanniyakumari has a good number of rubber and cashew plantations on its western border and plantation workers, too, face problems with respect to wages and lack of facilities. The price of rubber is of particular concern.
Separate Religion Demand: BJP’s sole constituency in Kanniyakumari— the Nadar Hindus — follow the Ayya Vazhi sect of Hinduism. They are now posing a new demand of autonomy. The state government’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department has taken over administration of the major Ayya Vazhi temple at Swamithope, angering followers. Balaprajabathi Adigalar, Ayya Vazhi’s present head, has now demanded that Ayya Vazhi be recognised as a ‘separate religion’ so that it does not come under the state government’s control.
Identity Politics: Pon Radhakrishnan had earlier stirred controversy by referring to Tamil people as “ungrateful” for failing to acknowledge PM Modi’s praise for the Tamil language. Later, he retracted, stating that he did not label all Tamils as ungrateful, but only those involved in politicising the language. The 2019 controversy may be raked up again against him this time.
Infrastructure Developments
Enhanced Connectivity: Extensive roads have come up connecting Kanniyakumari to Kerala which have helped in promoting trade and travel between the two regions. Pon Radhakrishnan is credited with pushing through the four-lane bypass. Although inaugurated during Vajpayee’s time, the work was completed only under Modi government. It has improved traffic flow and reduced congestion. After years of delay, construction on the Karode-Kanniyakumari bypass has finally resumed. Once finished, it will ease congestion on the Karamana-Kanniyakumari stretch, reducing travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanniyakumari to less than an hour and a half. The project’s completion will greatly benefit the thousands of Kerala-bound tourists who visit Kanniyakumari on day trips. Radhakrishnan is also credited with building of the Parvathipuram and Marthandam bridges. These bridges have improved connectivity and transportation within the Kanniyakumari region.
Railway: Kanniyakumari railway station is being redeveloped with world-class facilities. The station will provide airport-like facilities to rail passengers. Southern Railways is also carrying out line doubling in the region along the 86-km Thiruvananthapuram-Kanniyakumari railway corridor. Vande Bharat trains were run on a weekly trial basis from Chennai to Kanniyakumari during January 2024 to clear the Pongal holiday rush. However, the services have not continued. Kanniyakumari residents have been long demanding a Vande Bharat service to the state capital. A Vande Bharat train between Varanasi and Kanniyakumari was flagged off by PM Modi during Kashi Tamil Sangamam. This service will benefit a large number of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu visiting Kashi.
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