SIVAKASI

The firecracker city of Tamil Nadu, Sivakasi is politically more known as the parliamentary seat of Vaiko.

The firecracker city of Tamil Nadu, Sivakasi is politically more known as the Parliamentary seat of now jailed Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Vaiko.

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In one of the key contests in the south, the DMK-backed Vaiko defeated the former SC judge and a political greenhorn Justice V Ramaswamy of AIADMK by 74,781 votes polling 41.80% votes in an otherwise 16-cornered contest. Both DMK and MDMK were part of the NDA then.

In 1998, Vaiko had won the seat with a margin of more than 1.3 lakh votes but only with the help of the AIADMK.

The Nadar community, which controls most of the matches, printing and fireworks industries in entire Sivakasi belt, has been one of the most crucial factors in the polls over the years.

The constituency comprises more women than men.