City: Chennai

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 PollsTop Candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA: A Vetriazhagan .MLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read Villivakkam, a prominent urban constituency in the city, presents a mix of long-established, densely-populated low-income residential areas, an industrial cluster, and rapidly expanding middle-class areas, some of which have given way to apartment complexes in recent years. Once the largest constituency in the city, Villivakkam has shrunk in size as many constituencies, including Ambattur, Kolathur, Madhavaram, Maduravoyal, and Virugambakkam, were carved out of it following the delimitation process. Areas that come under Villivakam including Villivakkam…

Kolathur definitely makes headlines: it is a high-profile constituency represented by the incumbent chief minister MK Stalin of the DMK. He is contesting for the 4th time from the same constituency. Located in the north-western part of Chennai, Kolathur is equidistant from both Koyambedu bus station and Chennai Central railway station, and is well-connected by road with all major localities of the city. Close by are the highly developed residential, commercial and industrial centres — Anna Nagar, Purasawalkam and ICF, respectively. Since its inclusion within city limits, Kolathur has developed rapidly. It has six multi-speciality hospitals and a few colleges, and…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA: Sekar Babu P KMLA profileCriminal records: 25LAD Funds Utilisation MLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read: Harbour is constituency number 18 in Chennai, located in the northern part of the city and directly adjacent to the Chennai Port. It falls under the Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency with a population of around 2.64 lakh as per the 2011 census. With a SC population at around 23%. The constituency covers commercial and residential areas including George Town, Sowcarpet, Mannady, Broadway, Muthialpet, Kondithope, and Wall Tax Road. George…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 polling snapshotPrevious results: 2016Incumbent MLA: Aravind RameshMLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read: Sholinganallur, Tamil Nadu’s largest assembly constituency, remains a major IT hub struggling with a difficult "rurban" transition. It was formed in 2011 after the delimitation exercise. As of early 2026, rapid urbanisation has outpaced core infrastructure, leaving areas like Pallikaranai and Jalladianpet prone to severe monsoon flooding. The lack of a comprehensive underground drainage network leads to sewage overflows and stagnation. Despite its high revenue status, many neighbourhoods still lack piped water and sewage systems, forcing heavy reliance…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 polling snapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Key citizen demandsAlso read: Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni is constituency number 19 in Chennai, sitting right in the heart of the city along the eastern coastal stretch near Marina Beach. It covers areas including Triplicane, Chintadripet, Adikesavapuram and Chepauk, and falls under the Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency. It is entirely urban with a population of around 3.15 lakh as per the 2011 census, with the scheduled caste (SC) population at around 15%.  The area is a dense mix of residential, commercial and cultural life, known for landmarks such as…

Every year, as the north-eastern monsoon approaches, residents in Chennai are on high alert, fearing a deluge. The memories of the 2015 floods, the aftermath of Cyclone Michaung in 2023 and annual flooding continue to haunt citizens even as they head to vote this April.  The Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919 points out that the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) must provide and maintain a sufficient system of public drains throughout the city. Recently, the GCC claimed that 88% of stormwater drain (SWD) works have been finished and that ₹6,475 crore was spent over four years on this. This covers 1,235…

As election day inches closer in Chennai, there is deeper scrutiny of the issues in the city’s 16 constituencies and the changes called for. Waste management is one such problem area that the city has been grappling with for years. The state and local governments have failed to come up with an effective policy and strict implementation of rules, and voters have voiced their concerns and called for concrete changes in their manifestos. India generates 62 million tonnes of waste annually, which is projected to triple by 2030. In Chennai, 6150 Metric Tonnes (MT) of garbage is collected and ferried…

With eyes closed, *Jayalakshmi wades in and weaves through the Great Salt Lake, in the Kovalam-Nemmeli backwaters, her fingers scooping up prawns and fish. From morning to evening, she fills prawns inside a bag punctured with holes at the bottom. For as long as she can remember, the 43-year-old, who belongs to the Irular community in Thiruvidanthai, Chengalpattu, has practised the art of catching prawns and fish, by hand.  “Everything depends on this aaru (the lake). We know exactly where the prawns are, beyond the thorns, snakes and seru(mud or mud flats ”she says. The salt burns her eyes and…

As cities grow rapidly, traffic, buildings, and loss of green cover inevitably follow. In 1974, the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) covered 1,189 sq. km; by 2022, it had expanded to 5,904 sq. km, bringing with it challenges of governance. Gaps in governance are foremost on the minds of the 28.3 lakh Chennai voters set to elect their Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on April 23rd. The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government made 505 promises in 2021, of which it claims to have met 80%. But as residents and citizen groups come up with their manifestos ahead of the April…

80 kilometres south of Chennai stands the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) — one of two big nuclear power plants in Tamil Nadu  — and its affiliate organizations. These organizations employ around 15,000 permanent employees, who mostly live with their families in the Kalpakkam and Anupuram townships, located approximately 5 kms from the nuclear plant. The distance is said to mitigate health risks from radiation. But they are not the only human resources of the plant. More than 4000 workers, hundreds of them migrants to the state, are employed on a contract basis every year in construction, housekeeping, catering, hygiene…