Two-cornered contest at the geographically fragmented Vepanahalli constituency

Vepanahalli constituency is geographically fragmented with the Krishnagiri-Bengaluru National Highway dividing the constituency on either side. One part of the constituency is closer to Krishnagiri headquarters, while the other concludes within the proximal distance to Hosur constituency.

The non-contiguous geography has also rendered issues faced by the constituents uniquely diverse and heterogenous.

Vepanahalli is primarily agrarian with horticultural cropping. Parts of Shoolagiri and Udhanapalli are facing imminent land alienation with notification of lands for establishment of SIPCOT industrial estates, given its proximity to Hosur’s industrial ecosystem.

The State Government’s push for high-ticket investments in Hosur, has brought authorities in direct confrontation with the farmers contesting the very logic of acquiring horticultural lands for industrial estates. Hundreds of farmers and tens of villages stand guard refusing to concede their lands.

Sanamavu and the neighbouring panchayats of Birjepalli face crop depredation from the incursions of wild animals, especially elephants. These areas are highly sensitive to negative human-animal interaction, and resultant uncertainty on remunerative incomes from agriculture owing to crop depredation, bringing them in conflict with the Forest Department.

Vepanahalli and Rayakottai are known for horticultural crops, primarily vegetables. Rayakottai is known for tomato cultivation, with the Rayakottai mandi being the centre for tomato supply across the State. Rayakottai and the farmers of surrounding areas demand remunerative prices for their produce that is dependent on the central mandi.

Two irrigation schemes for water management of two districts, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, are proposed from this constituency. The Ennekolputhur-Badethalavu irrigation project envisions harvesting runoff from River Thenpennai for filling up of lakes in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. Similarly, Aliyalam canal project envisions tapping of the runoff from River Thenpennai through a check-dam and channel waters up to Palacode and neighbouring constituencies of Dharmapuri.

The Ennekolputhur project announced in the fag end of the last term under the AIADMK government albeit under execution but at snail’s pace.

Vepanahalli constituency is facing a two-cornered contest, between the AIADMK’s deputy general secretary K.P. Munusamy, the sitting MLA and DMK’s P.S. Srinivasan, a youth wing deputy general secretary.

Uniquely, the constituency had voted against the party that would form the government in each Assembly election. In 2011 and 2016, the DMK wrested the constituency, while the AIADMK formed the government. In 2021, resisting the massive sweep of the DMK, Vepanahalli voted for the AIADMK-PMK alliance. However, Mr. Munusamy’s victory margin was barely 3,000 votes. The DMDK ,now in alliance with the DMK, had won over 3,600 votes back in 2021. In the event of vote transfer, it is anticipated as an advantage for the DMK.

While Mr. Munusamy is a known and seen as a heavy-weight, the DMK candidate is also known locally. For the AIADMK, there is also a challenge of vote erosion in favour of the TVK. Unlike a vast majority of other constituencies, where TVK is expected to undercut votes, in Vepanahalli, the challenge is the candidate itself.

TVK’s candidate S.R. Sampangi was in the AIADMK until recently, before joining the TVK. He had famously lent his car for the transport of V.K. Sasikala from the inter-State border during her release from prison after serving her sentence. He was reportedly side-lined in the party after that incident. Mr. Sampangi is also the district president of Crushers Association. Alongside him is another ex-AIADMK functionary Hemnath, who was the AIADMK candidate and runner-up in the 2016 Assembly elections, and a three-time Shoolagiri Union chairperson. Between them, the AIADMK and PMK votes may be swayed to favour the TVK.