One of the three Lok Sabha constituencies representing the city, Chennai South comprises localities maintained by two different civic bodies: Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Tambaram Corporation. And thus, the issues prevailing in the constituency are also contrasting.
While the localities under Tambaram Corporation are grappling with the lack of basic amenities, those under GCC require improvement in the amenities provided decades ago. Sholinganallur is one of the largest assembly constituencies, with a voter base of six lakh.
Chennai South constituency boasts a highly educated populace, with a significant presence of IT industries and educational institutions. Unique to this area are esteemed institutions such as IIT-Madras, Anna University and Madras University. “Historically, only individuals with strong educational backgrounds such as Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Vyjayanthimala and T R Baalu have been elected to represent this constituency,” said Kumar Raja, President, Federation of Velachery welfare association.
Formed before the 1957 elections, the constituency has six assembly constituencies: Mylapore, Saidapet, Virugambakkam, Velachery, Sholinganallur and Thyagaraya Nagar.
Read more: Chennai South: Cosmopolitan constituency crying out for better infrastructure
At a glance
| Constituency Name | Chennai South |
| Number of voters (2019) | 1,93,6209 |
| Male voters | 9,61,904 |
| Female voters | 9,73,934 |
| Other voters | 371 |
Additional info:
- Number of Polling Booths of Chennai South parliament seat as of 2019 Parliament Election – 1960 .
- Voters Turnout for Chennai South parliament seat in 2019 Parliament Election – 56.9%.
- Voters Turnout for Chennai South parliament seat in 2016 Assembly Election – 58.3%.
Find your polling booth
Use your EPIC number in the voter id cards to find the booth information here.
Key candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections
| 2024 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Education | Criminal cases | Total assets | Total liabilities |
| 1 | Sumathy T (Thamizhachi Thangapandian) | Female | DMK | 61 | Doctorate | 0 | Rs.14.86 Cr | Rs. 1.72 Cr |
| 2 | Tamilisai Soundararajan | Female | BJP | 62 | Graduate professional | 0 | Rs. 21.54 Cr | Rs. 7.35 Cr |
| 3 | J Jayavardhan | Male | AIADMK | 36 | Graduate professional | 3 | Rs.9.90 Cr | Rs. 3.99 Cr |
| 4 | Tamilchelvi S | Female | NTK | 61 | Doctorate | 0 | Rs. 3.17 Cr | 0 |
To know more about your incumbent MP, Sumathy T (Thamizhachi Thangapandian), click here.
You can read our exclusive interview with Thamizhachi Thangapandian here.
Detailed list of all candidates is available here.
Past election results
| 2019 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Vote Share (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thamizhachi Thangapandian | F | DMK | 56 | 50.17 |
| 2 | J Jayavardhan | M | AIADMK | 31 | 26.88 |
| 3 | R. Rangarajan | M | MNM | 40 | 12.03 |
| 2014 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Vote Share (%) |
| 1 | J Jayavardhan | M | AIADMK | 26 | 40.03 |
| 2 | T K S Elangovan | M | DMK | 59 | 27.54 |
| 3 | L A Ganesan | M | BJP | 69 | 1.86 |
Candidates in the news
The BJP candidate from Chennai South constituency, Tamilisai Soundararajan, resigned from her post as Governor of Telangana to contest in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Many eyebrows were raised when she was appointed to the post of Telangana Governor in September 2019, after losing in the parliamentary elections that year from the Thoothukkudi constituency. Dr Tamilisai is a gynaecologist by profession.
Dr Tamilisai’s tenure as Governor was marred by controversies and a constant tug-of-war between her and the former Telangana Rashtra Samithi government, with the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao objecting to her ‘praja darbars,‘ while she accused his government of “not following protocol and insulting the Governor’s office.”
During a meet organised by the Federation of OMR Resident Associations (FOMRRA), where the four Chennai South candidates representing DMK, AIADMK, BJP and NTK were invited to interact with OMR residents, Dr Tamilisai said that during her tenure as Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry, she had adopted six tribal villages and worked for their development. She said if she was elected as MP for Chennai South, she would work for fisher welfare and would also be able to execute infrastructure projects with support from the Prime Minister.
J Jayavardhan, the AIADMK candidate, who is contesting for the third time in the Lok Sabha elections, became the youngest MP in Parliament in 2014 at the age of 26, when he emerged winner from the Chennai South constituency. He was defeated by Thamizhachi Thangapandian of the DMK in 2019 from the same constituency. Dr Jayavardhan, who is a medical doctor by profession has faced criticism for being a product of dynasty politics, as his father D Jayakumar is a noted politician and former Minister.
In the FOMRRA meeting, Dr Jayavardhan claimed that he was instrumental in starting the CMRL phase 1 in Guindy and Saidapet, and phase 2 in OMR. He also said that he facilitated land acquisition for the much-delayed Velachery-St Thomas Mount railway route, but the incumbent DMK MP, who succeeded him did not take it forward.
About the three criminal cases against him, Dr Jayavardhan said they were all related to protests for the rights of the people.
Recently, the NTK parliamentary candidate from South Chennai constituency, R Tamilchelvi was booked by the Adyar police for flouting election norms. She was seen canvassing in the city with 20 bikers and a group of party workers without permission.
Key issues
Whether it is the absence of stormwater drains in Madipakkam or unmilled roads in a large part of the Tambaram Corporation limits and encroachment of water bodies at Velachery and Pallikaranai, the majority of the issues in Chennai South constituency are at the grassroots level.
The constituency includes the housing boards of Perumbakkam, Kannagi Nagar and Semmencherry. For decades, the ruling parties of the State have been boasting of providing adequate housing to marginalised communities. However, the condition of their residences is substandard, to say the least.
Read more: Chennai Central: Voters voice various concerns in constituency of high-profile contestants
During the floods of December 2023, no elected representative visited the Semmencherry housing board for a week when their streets were submerged in knee-deep water. Citizens from the Perumbakkam housing board took to the streets to protest as their locality had no electricity for more than four days and basic amenities such as milk were sold for Rs 50 a litre.
According to residents, the resettlement sites have multiple issues. There are no teachers in the schools, homes are too small to accommodate a family and even after years of relocation, jobs are scarce.
Another issue is public transport. Former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi inaugurated Velachery MRTS in November 2007. At the time, then MP and Railways Minister R Velu had promised to extend the service to St. Thomas Mount within 1.5 years. Despite repeated assurances, this project is still not completed.
As per recent reports, the construction of the 5-kilometre stretch is progressing at a fast pace. However, citizens have no hope after waiting for more than 15 years. Resident Iqbal Farook feels that the extension is crucial for connecting residents to the beach and is eagerly anticipated by the local community.
The problems in the constituency are interconnected. For instance, the shrinking of Velachery Lake and encroachment on Pallikaranai marshlands lead to flooding in Velachery, Pallikaranai, Medavakkam and Sholinganallur.
The Velachery Lake, which covered 255.8 acres according to a 1970 map, has dwindled to less than 55 acres, contributing to the area’s flooding issues. The major problems include encroachment, sewage dumping, and their adverse effects on migratory birds. The government agencies including the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Metro Water Department and Elcott have encroached on the marshland, Kumar Raja says that the entire marshland should be protected under the Forests Act of 1957 to safeguard the ecosystem.
Velachery also lacks a bus terminus, as the Vijayanagaram bus terminus was demolished during the construction of a flyover here in 2016. Although 6.2 acres of land have been allocated next to the railway station for a new terminus, construction has yet to commence. While efforts are being taken to shift the bus terminus to the bypass, the reality is that it is not done yet.
According to a commuter, Swaroopa M, the one at the Vijayanagaram is just a makeshift bus stop with no space for commuters to even stand. It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement till a new bus stop is constructed. However, It has taken more than seven years now.