Virugambakkam constituency was formed in 2009 after merging parts of Villivakkam and Alandur constituencies. Located between the Coovum and Adyar River, some of the areas that form the constituency are M.G.R Nagar, Jafferkhanpet, K.K. Nagar, Nesapakkam, Saligramam and Rani Anna Nagar.
Koyambedu, the largest market for perishable goods in Asia, is one of the important landmarks in Virugambakkam constituency. The Koyambedu Market Management Committee is collaborating with Care Earth Trust NGO to undertake greening activities within the market complex. The NGO plans to create a small tree park.
Besides prominent film artists, politicians and entrepreneurs residing here, there are a number of movie studios in the constituency.
Votes cast (2016)
- Total number of voters: 171339
- Male Voters: 87786
- Female voters: 83129
- Third gender: 2
- Postal votes: 422
- Polling percentage: 58.63
Incumbent MLA Profile
- Name: V N Virugai Ravi
- Party: AIADMK
- S/o: C.O Nagalingam
- Age: 51
- Address: Door No: 8/43, Narayanasamy Street, Virugambakkam, Chennai-92
- Name Enrolled as Voter: VIRUGAMBAKKAM (Tamil Nadu) constituency, at Serial no 481 in Part no 66
- Contact Number: 044-23770000, 93837 70505
- Self Profession: Centring Contractor
- Criminal cases: Nil
2016 election results
V N Virugai Ravi (AIADMK) won by a margin of 2,333 (1.4%)
| No. | Name | Votes | Party | Percentage of votes polled (As per ECI website) |
| 1 | V N Virugai Ravi | 65,979 | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 38.51 |
| 2 | K Thanasekaran | 63,646 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 37.15 |
| 3 | Tamilisai Soundararajan.Dr | 19,167 | Bharatiya Janata Party | 11.19 |
| 4 | B.Parthasarathy | 9,730 | Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam | 5.68 |
| 5 | C.H. Jayarao | 3,945 | Pattali Makkal Katchi | 2.30 |
In the news
MLA V N Virugai Ravi inaugurated the Saligramam Full-Time Branch Library in February. During the event, the president of the reader’s circle S Rajendran submitted a written plea to the MLA seeking a coaching facility for youngsters who take competitive examinations.
In 2018, members of resident welfare associations from Ashok Nagar met the MLA to submit a petition on the long-pending civic woes. Installation of speed breakers in several sectors, appointment of security guards in parks and makeover for the name boards and underground sewage lines were some of the demands that were highlighted in the petition.
In 2019 November, Ravi was in the news for discussing the decision of shifting the Sub-registrar office from Virugambakkam to Nolambur. According to a news report, many residents were unhappy about the relocation.
Know your candidates this time
| S. No | Name | Party | Age | Education/Occupation | Criminal Cases |
| 1 | AMV. Prabhakara Raja | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 32 | Business/B.Tech, MBA | Nil |
| 2 | Virugai V N Ravi | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 58 | Centring contractor/B.A | Nil |
| 3 | Senegan S | Makkal Needhi Maiam | 48 | Poet, song writer, actor/Higher secondary school | Nil |
| 4 | D Sundar Singh | Independent | 43 | Business/Class 12 | Nil |
| 5 | M Ellangovan | Independent | 40 | Advocate/B.A., B.L., MBA | Nil |
| 6 | K Boopathy | Independent | 45 | Advocate/B.A., LLB | Nil |
| 7 | V K Senthil Kumar | Independent | 38 | Advocate/B.Com, LLB | Nil |
| 8 | V K Kathir | Independent | 40 | Advocate/B.Com, LLB | Nil |
| 9 | M Srinivasan | Independent | 30 | Advocate/B.Sc, LLB | Nil |
| 10 | V Thalapathi | Independent | 53 | Journalist, Business/B.Com | Nil |
| 11 | G Thanigachalam | Veerath Thiyagi Viswanathadoss Thozhilalarkal Katchi | 42 | Saloon/Class 8 | Nil |
| 12 | M. Gunasekaran (A) Star M. Gunasekaran | Independent | 47 | Real estate/B.A. | Nil |
| 13 | E Sankar | Independent | 49 | Business/Class 9 | Nil |
| 14 | V Gunasekaran | Independent | 60 | Business/Class 10 | Nil |
| 15 | Sathasivam A | Independent | 35 | Salaried/B.Sc | Nil |
| 16 | D Prabakaran | Independent | 52 | Business/Class 5 | Nil |
| 17 | M S Ismail Khan | All India Jananayaka Makkal Kazhagam | 40 | NA | Nil |
| 18 | S Gunasekar | Independent | 31 | Employed/Class 10 | Nil |
| 19 | M Sivakumar | Independent | 40 | Business/Class 6 | Nil |
| 20 | G Ravi | Rashtriya Janata Dal | 36 | Business/NA | Nil |
| 21 | B Parthasarathy | Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam | 56 | Business/Class 10 | Nil |
| 22 | Manju C | Anaithu Makkal Arasiyal Katchi | 36 | Business/Class 8 | Nil |
| 23 | R Prabhaharan | Tamizhaga Murpokku Makkal Katchi | 40 | Advocate/B.A, B.L | Nil |
| 24 | Mannu M | Independent | 42 | Tailor/BBA (not completed) | Nil |
| 25 | S R Dinesh Kumar | Anna MGR Dravida Makkal Kalgam | 34 | Interior & Exterior contractor/NIL | Nil |
| 26 | R Mayilsamy | Independent | 56 | Actor/Class 5 | Nil |
| 27 | T S Rajendran | Naam Tamilar Katchi | 57 | Real estate/High school | Nil |
Key concerns of the constituency
Although the constituency is a part of Greater Chennai Corporation, several localities including Periyar Street, Valparai street and Thiruvallur Street in M G R Nagar are not connected to a stormwater drain (SWD) network. The absence of the facility results in water stagnation every monsoon. One of the major demands placed by the residents of the locality is for an SWD network and desilting of the existing drains before the onset of monsoon.
While the entire city gets vegetable supply from the Koyambedu market, the facility lacks basic amenities such as sewage drains and parking. Commuters witness severe bottlenecks during peak hours which could be resolved if the roads are widened.
Anna Main Road or Ashok Pillar Road, as it was better known earlier, is a four-kilometre wide stretch lined with trees. However, over the years, especially in the past two decades, the road has not been maintained well. “Apart from potholes and uneven stretches, road cave-ins are regular at MGR Nagar junction. It is unclear why the road caves in often, but it could be due to the shoddy road-laying work,” says Sashi Nair, Director of Press Institute of India (PII), who resides in KK Nagar.
In yet another incident of road caving in, residents of Saligramam were in for a surprise when VOC Street caved in as Cyclone Nivar lashed the city. According to a report in The Times of India, the road caved in due to the leakage in the sewer line. However, the Metrowater officials shifted the blame on to the corporation, as the incident allegedly occurred due to the stormwater drain that was accumulating sand.
As the water supply line and underground drainage lines were constructed more than three decades ago, residents complain of sewage contamination of drinking water. P Arunachalam, an executive committee member of Second Sector House owners Association from KK Nagar, says,” Due to this, residents are forced to buy canned water from vendors.”
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