Tamil Nadu election 2026: Only structured party machinery with popularity can ensure success, says Thousand Lights DMK MLA Ezhilan

Thousand Lights is simply a highly urbanised constituency. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had contested respective times from here. Having completed 5 years arsenic MLA, however bash you measure your tenure?

Thousand Lights is simply a humanities constituency. Arignar Anna [C.N. Annadurai] lived here. The archetypal mid-day repast strategy by Sir Pitti Theagarayar began astatine a schoolhouse here. Justice Party person A.T. Panneerselvam and Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar [M. Karunanidhi] lived successful this Assembly segment. In 2021, the Chief Minister gave maine his constituency to supply an accidental for professionals and societal activists. In the archetypal fewer months, I conducted inspections crossed departments specified arsenic Electricity, Metro Water and Sewage, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), and the Habitat Board [TNUHDB].

Thousand Lights is besides a low-lying area. When I presented flood mitigation issues earlier the Thiruppugazh Committee, it was pointed retired that stormwater drains and sewage lines were being utilized interchangeably, starring to overflow during rains. To code this, we created 30 km of stormwater drains and cleared the Mambalam and Puliyur canals. Embankments were strengthened and sewage inlets plugged to guarantee escaped travel of water. We took up sewer enactment expansion. During the 2015 Chennai floods, 42 locations faced waterlogging. This was reduced to 16, and present constricted to conscionable 2 places.

Many residents accidental you are accessible and responsive to grievances. Why is accessibility important for an MLA and however bash you guarantee this?

People travel to an MLA with their primordial problems and expect them to lick burning issues. So, I formed the ‘Thousand Lights Joint Action Committee Group’ with officials specified arsenic AE, AEE, EE, zonal heads and secretaries. People nonstop maine photos of issues connected WhatsApp, I stock them successful the group, and officials respond rapidly since elder officers are monitoring it.

Once resolved, the completed enactment is shared backmost with the public. This created a loop. This strategy evolved. People began reaching retired to maine much and that made maine accessible. At the aforesaid time, I proceed my aesculapian practice, seeing patients 3 times a week and consulting successful 2 hospitals. People attack maine some for wellness issues and civic concerns.

Thousand Lights has respective important acquisition institutions and hospitals. With caller nationalist wellness infrastructure added successful the past 5 years, however important is it to physique specified a holistic model?

I focused connected processing 4 ecosystems: health, education, infrastructure and sports for youngsters. Our Primary Health Centres (PHCs) had fantabulous facilities, but radical preferred going to authorities aesculapian colleges adjacent for basal needs. So, I revamped the PHCs. One centre is present dedicated to maestro wellness check-ups with afloat diagnostic facilities. Pregnant women from crossed the GCC travel there. We person besides acceptable up a TB centre for microscopic investigation and introduced exemplary PHCs and evening clinics.

I addressed the shortage of doctors by taking it up with the authorities and the Chief Minister. Being a doc helped maine physique this wellness ecosystem. My relation successful the State Planning Commission besides gave maine the accidental to coordinate crossed departments.

Residents successful Thousand Lights emblem 3 cardinal issues: parking constraints, persistent sewer problems, and entree to nationalist spaces…

Parking is mostly a Chennai-wide problem. Here, I formed a moving radical with Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) to code last-mile connectivity. In Phase-II, we are readying to place unutilised GCC spaces and organise parking bases with security, cameras and monitoring systems. On sewer issues, during the past 5 years, revamping has been completed successful 110 streets. Another 100 streets volition beryllium taken up successful the adjacent phase. Sewage is present pumped to a cardinal installation having biofilters and treated adjacent the Nungambakkam burial crushed earlier being discharged into the Cooum.

Would you see introduction interest concessions astatine the Kalaignar Centenary Parkfor families to promote greater utilisation?

We person created passes for walkers. Within six months, the Kalaignar Centenary Parkhas go self-sufficient. This is an experiment. If schoolhouse students travel successful ample numbers with a schoolhouse letter, we let them for free. We volition see the thought of incentivising families successful consultation with the Horticulture Department.

Across Chennai, pedestrians proceed to look mediocre walkways and encroachments, which discourages walking. At the aforesaid time, however tin pedestrian plazas similar those successful Pondy Bazaar oregon Khader Nawaz Khan Road beryllium designed without causing spill implicit issues specified arsenic parking unit successful adjacent residential areas?

On pedestrian rights, I person worked connected it. Take Avvai Shanmugam Salai wherever respective schools are located. In the mornings, determination utilized to beryllium a batch of commotion with schoolhouse vans being parked everyplace connected the road. I asked the children to beryllium dropped and beryllium made to locomotion to school. We besides widened the pedestrian walkway. But, vans began parking connected the walkway itself. The constabulary carried retired evacuation drives and we regulated it. Now, the wont alteration is dilatory taking shape.

On pedestrian plazas, bunk shops started coming up aft we created the spaces. So, I worked with the Corporation to present a due licensing mechanics and marked retired vending spaces. When the Street Vendors Act is implemented properly, it would guarantee that their livelihoods are not affected arsenic well. Also, for marked spaces, we indispensable beryllium persistent with evacuation drives. In places specified arsenic Khader Nawaz Khan Road, we held nationalist consultations. Some residents person concerns, and options including FSI exemptions are being explored. It is simply a delicate equilibrium that we are trying to establish.

How important is Chennai’s maturation to Tamil Nadu? As 1 of India’s astir urbanised States, however tin congestion successful Chennai beryllium addressed portion promoting decentralised improvement successful different cities?

Chennai is already saturated. People acquisition alleviation lone during agelong holidays erstwhile astir 20 lakh radical question to their hometowns and postulation congestion eases. Chennai has the oversea connected 1 broadside and the Andhra Pradesh borderline connected the other. So, enlargement is imaginable lone successful the remaining directions. The logical measurement is to make Tier-II cities and outer towns. That is besides the Chief Minister’s approach. We person begun processing Coimbatore, Salem and Thoothukudi done focused improvement blocks. Decentralisation is the lone solution. Other cities are already contributing to Tamil Nadu’s GSDP.

If fixed a accidental again successful 2026 elections, what volition beryllium your committedness to Thousand Lights voters?

The Model Code of Conduct has begun. But, radical inactive scope retired to maine for their grievances. If radical halt coming to me, I americium out. The spot they person that I volition lick their problems is captious successful electoral politics. If that drops, it means defeat. That spot is what gives maine confidence. I worked for the mandate radical gave maine successful 2021. I person not worked with a absorption connected the upcoming elections. For 2026, the Chief Minister volition determine the candidate.

The Chief Minister’s schemes person reached each household. We person Tamil Pudhalvan, Pudhumai Penn, Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai [Thittam], Magalir Vidiyal Payanam and the Breakfast Scheme beneficiaries successful each home. That is our beardown transportation to spell backmost to the electorate. This creates a pro-incumbency factor. Along with this, the spot and accessibility of the section MLA becomes a ‘double engine’.

Tamil Nadu has mostly seen bipolar contests. With Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) introduction into authorities and Vijay drafting noticeable nationalist resonance, however bash you spot his introduction shaping the 2026 elections?

It is amended to measure this with a yardstick. Have they contested section assemblage polls, a bye-election oregon adjacent the caller Parliamentary election? At present, it is mostly perception-based. Around 13% to 14% of voters successful Tamil Nadu person consistently supported alternatives to the 2 Dravidian parties. That is not new. Any fashionable property entering authorities volition pull limelight. But lone a structured enactment combined with popularity tin scope success.

According to a survey, astir 8% to 10% of votes travel to a enactment successful Tamil Nadu based connected enactment appeal, beyond enactment ballot banks. Today, the Chief Minister remains a towering leader, cutting crossed caste and spiritual lines. Vijay is popular, but helium does not person a enactment operation yet. When Vijayakant launched the DMDK, helium had already built organisational acquisition done his enactment for the payment of South Indian Film Artistes Association. That operation was visible.

Similarly, Vijay has carried retired payment activities done his Makkal Iyakkam. How bash you presumption that?

I bash not spot a akin engagement from Vijay with his party’s 2nd oregon third-rung leaders. His attack appears scripted. Comparisons with MGR [M.G.Ramachandran] oregon Jayalalithaa place their governmental grounding. MGR spent years successful the DMK, serving arsenic MLA and treasurer, earlier starting his party. Jayalalithaa was a Rajya Sabha subordinate and propaganda caput and had travelled wide crossed Tamil Nadu. Their emergence followed a process, which cannot beryllium ignored.