With Tamil Nadu gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in the first phase on April 19, voters across the State are smouldering, with several major unresolved issues. For them, elections are yet another opportunity to voice their concerns to candidates. Multiple stakeholders have been pushing contestants to resolve issues in their respective regions. Here are some of the key issues that are driving the election this year, in Tamil Nadu.
Agricultural distress
For farmers of the delta region, the uncertainty over getting Cauvery River water from Karnataka for the kuruvai and samba crops remains the most important livelihood concern. Karnataka’s recent moves to intensify efforts to build a balancing reservoir across the river at Mekedatu have only heightened the anxiety. “A reservoir at Mekedatu would render the delta a desert,” is a common refrain of farmers leaders of the Cauvery delta.
