Any popular figure who enters politics attracts attention. But only a structured party machinery coupled with popularity can ensure success, notes Thousand Lights DMK MLA N. Ezhilan. During a casual conversation with The Hindu Dr. Ezhilan spoke about his constituency in Chennai, key development issues in the capital and broader political issues. Below are excerpts.
Thousand Lights is a highly urbanized constituency. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin fought several times from here. How do you evaluate your performance after five years as MLA?
Thousand Lights is a historic constituency. Arignar Anna (CN Annadurai) lived here. Sir Pitti Theagarayar’s first mid-day program started in a school here. Justice Party leader AT Panneerselvam and Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar (M. Karunanidhi) lived in this part of the assembly. In 2021, the Chief Minister gave me his constituency to provide opportunity to professionals and social activists. In the first few months, I conducted inspections across departments like Electricity, Metro Water and Sewage, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Habitat Board (TNUHDB).
Thousand Lights is also a low-lying area. When I presented the flood mitigation issues to the Thiruppugazh Committee, it was pointed out that stormwater drains and sewage pipes are used interchangeably, leading to overflows during rains. To address this, we have created 30 km of rainwater drains and cleaned the Mambalam and Puliyur canals. Dams were strengthened and sewage inlets were blocked to ensure free flow of water. We have started the expansion of the sewage pipeline. During the 2015 Chennai floods, 42 places faced waterlogging. This was reduced to 16 and now limited to only two places.
Thousand Lights has several important educational institutions and hospitals. How important is it to build such a holistic model as new public health infrastructure has been added in the last five years?
I focused on the development of four ecosystems: health, education, infrastructure and youth sports. Our Primary Health Centers (PHCs) had excellent facilities but people preferred to go to government medical colleges even for basic needs. So I rebuilt the PHC. One center is now dedicated to major medical examinations with complete diagnostic facilities. Pregnant women from all over the GCC come there. We have also established a TB center for microscopic analysis and established model primary health care and evening clinics.
I solved the shortage of doctors by discussing it with the government and the Prime Minister. Being a doctor helped me build this healthcare ecosystem. My role in the State Planning Commission also gave me the opportunity to coordinate across departments.
Residents in Thousand Lights point to three key issues: parking restrictions, ongoing sewage issues and access to public space…
Parking is pretty much a problem in all of Chennai. Here I have formed a task force with the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) to look at last mile connectivity. In Phase II, we plan to identify unused GCC spaces and organize parking bases with security, camera and monitoring systems. As for sewerage, reconstruction in 110 streets has been completed over the past five years. Another 100 streets will be occupied in the next phase. The sewage is now pumped to a central biofilter facility and treated near the Nungambakkam burial ground before being discharged into the Coou.
Across Chennai, pedestrians continue to face poor pavements and obstacles that discourage walking. At the same time, how can pedestrian zones like those in Pondy Bazaar or Khader Nawaz Khan Road be designed without causing spillover problems such as parking pressure in the surrounding residential areas?
Take Avvai Shanmugam Salai where several schools are located. There used to be a lot of commotion in the morning with school vans parked everywhere on the road. I asked the children to be dropped off and have to walk to school. We also widened the pedestrian walkway. But the vans started parking on the sidewalk itself. The police conducted evacuation drives and we regulated it. Now a change in habit is slowly taking shape.
Bunk shops started popping up in the pedestrian plazas after we created the spaces. So I worked with the corporation to put in place the right licensing mechanism and delineate the points of sale. When the Street Vendors Act is properly implemented, it will ensure that their livelihood is not affected either. We also have to be persistent during evacuation drives in marked areas. We have held public consultations in places like Khader Nawaz Khan Road. Some residents have concerns and options including FSI exemptions are being explored. It’s a delicate balance we’re trying to strike.
How do you see the entry of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in shaping the 2026 elections?
It is better to judge it with a scale. Did they fight local opinion polls, primaries or even the recent parliamentary elections? Currently, it is largely based on perception. Around 13% to 14% of voters in Tamil Nadu consistently support alternatives to the two Dravidian parties. This is nothing new. Any popular figure who enters politics attracts attention. But only a structured party coupled with popularity can achieve success.
According to the survey, about 8% to 10% of the votes are won by a party in Tamil Nadu through leadership appeal, outside the party vote bank. Vijay is popular but has no party structure yet. When Vijayakant started DMDK, he had already gained organizational experience through his work for the welfare of the South Indian Film Artistes Association. The structure was visible.
