CPI(M) hopeful of contesting from Madurai, Coimbatore: Balabharathi

Former Dindigul MLA K. Balabharathi of the CPI(M) on Tuesday said that she was hopeful that the party would get to contest from the Madurai and the Coimbatore constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as the party had already proved in these constituencies.

She told The Hindu that a request for the same had been made and it was brought to the notice of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. The DMK on February 29 had finalised seatsharing talks with the CPI and the CPI(M) for the upcoming polls and allotted two seats each to the parties. The constituencies are to be decided.

Sitting MPs Su. Venkatesan (Madurai) and P.R. Natarajan (Coimbatore) had won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

While they performed well in Madurai, Coimbatore was a traditional seat and it was strong in the constituency backed by trade unions, she said.

When asked about the candidates to be fielded and whether any preference would be given to women, she said that it would be decided after the constituencies were confirmed. Following this, the respective district committee would take a decision, she said.

Ms. Balabharathi said that Dindigul district had the potential to become an agricultural hub and the region was rich in production of fruits and vegetables. The Central government should turn the region into a hub, she said.

She said that the minimum support price should be fixed for fruits and vegetables for the benefit of the farmers.

The Central government should focus on the issues and the problems faced by the farmers.

People were turning away from farming and moving to cities in search of jobs and better opportunities, she said.

The agricultural fields were shrinking in Dindigul district and real estate was taking over, she complained and demanded an agricultural college and research institute be established.