Apart from being a railway town, Arakkonam Assembly constituency covers at least 250 farming villages that depend on two key rivers, namely Kallar, a tributary of Palar River, and Kosasthalaiyar river for agriculture and domestic consumption.Areas like Guruvarajapet, Nemili, Minnal, Valarpuram, Thakkolam, and Melkalthur are known for extensive paddy cultivation. Crops like bananas, sugarcanes and groundnuts are also cultivated by farmers at least twice in a year in the region. “A government cold storage facility to store farm products and other perishable items before transporting to wholesale markets in the State will help prevent crop loss due to logistics. Such a facility will also provide more shelf life for farm products,” said G. Domas, a farmer.Regular unscheduled power cuts and power fluctuations have irked voters in the constituency that comprises farmers, weavers, traders, and government employees. With the summer season on, residents said that they have begun to experience the harsh weather by regular unscheduled power cuts in the constituency. An upgrade of the existing Tangedco substations will ensure uninterrupted power supply to households, commercial buildings, and for irrigation purposes, they said.A new Road Overbridge (ROB) in the place of the existing British-era narrow subway near the railway station in Arakkonam town has been a long-standing demand. The subway, which is around nine metres in length, was constructed by the then Madras Railway in 1865 to prevent inundation of the railway lines above it.For residents, the facility provided the much-needed connectivity to go between northern and southern parts of Arakkonam town. “During monsoon, the subway gets waterlogged, forcing residents to take a de-tour at least for six km to reach either side of the town. Ambulances are most affected,” said G. Ethiraj, president, Arakkonam All Traders’ Association.Residents said that the subway remains a lifeline for them as most of the public utilities such as Government Taluk Hospital, civic body office, banks, common market, government schools, health centres, and bus termini are located on the northern side of the town whereas the residential quarters are situated on the southern side of the town. A new bridge will end the ordeal of residents in the town.Another challenge faced by electorates is a lack of advanced government health care facilities. Currently, the town has a government taluk hospital, which provides basic treatment. Patients were often referred to Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvallur, the nearest government facility around 30 kms away.Voters want a government facility along the lines of Vellore and Tiruvannamalai towns that have Government Multi-speciality Hospitals with specialists to treat various ailments.The incumbent MLA of the AIADMK S. Ravi has won in Arakkonam constituency in 2011, 2016, and 2021, defeating his close rival with a margin of over 20,000 votes at least on two occasions. )Arakkonam Assembly seats were won alternatively by DMK and AIADMK between 1996 and 2006. However, the seat has become a fortress for AIADMK since 2011 when Mr. Ravi won for the first time. Except in 2016 when he faced the DMK, Mr. Ravi fought candidates of VCK, which also has a sizable vote share in the region. The increasing expectation of electorate will test the aspirations of the incumbent MLA Mr. Ravi, who has been renominated by the party again. Published - April 01, 2026 07:25 pm IST