TN Assembly Elections 2026: In Vellore Assembly constituency, residents are unhappy over tardy work under Smart Cities Mission project

The ambitious multi-crore Smart Cities Mission project of the Vellore Corporation remains unpopular among voters due to tardy work of the civic body since the project began in 2018.

Laying of bitumen roads, an underground sewage system, independent ducts for utility cables, including internet and telephone services, water pipelines, tiled footpath with steel railings are some of the features of the project that is estimated to cost around ₹3,500 crore.

“Re-laying of damaged stretches due to underground drainage pipeline work without milling of the worn-out bitumen layer has only pulled houses a few inches down along these stretches, exposing the buildings to water logging during monsoon,” said S. Chandrasekar, a long-time resident.

Mr. Chandrasekar resides in Sathuvachari, an upmarket housing area on Chennai – Bengaluru National Highway (NH 48) that forms part of the civic body. Many houses in Gandhi Nagar in Sathuvachari, Double Road, Regional Transport Office (RTO) Road, off the national highway, are placed a few feet lower than the existing road level.

“ Work done under the Smart Cities Mission project have drained taxpayers’ money. Household drainage connections have not started despite the project beginning nearly a decade ago,” said J.C. Kumareswaran, president, Sathuvachari Consumer Welfare Association.

Another major challenge that irks voters in the constitutency is stray cattle and dogs in the area. Many residents within the civic body limits are dairy farmers. Residents blame dairy owners for leaving cattle on the streets to feed before they drive the animals back to the cowshed in the evenings. “Fines and seizures of stray cattle have not ended the menace as we still face the danger of stray cattle running across key stretches in the town. A permanent solution should be found by the civic body,” said K. Mahalakshmi, another resident.

The incumbent DMK MLA P. Karthikeyan has been elected twice from the Vellore seat in 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections. He was also the first Chairman of Vellore Corporation when the civic body was upgraded from a municipality in 2008. The constituency has remained a stronghold for DMK, that has sent MLAs from the seat at least six times since 1952 when the first Assembly elections were held for the constituency.

Nevertheless, electorates remain unsatisfied with the progress of work under the Smart Cities Mission project. Violation of traffic rules by motorists on key stretches in the Assembly constituency remains another concern for voters, especially women and senior citizens. Residents said that regular police patrolling within the constituency was not done for a long time.

With Karthikeyan being announced as the DMK candidate for the constituency again by party president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday, key civic woes of voters will decide whether Mr. Karthikeyan will be re-elected for a third term from the constituency.