Nestled between Tambaram and Airport, Pallavaram is a suburb that derives its name from the Pallava settlement. This constituency has several water bodies and Tirusulam hill, tanneries and cosmetics industries. The Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road that connects Chennai with other districts passes through the constituency.

The locality is known for the Friday shandy which is the only weekly market in the metropolitan city, epitomising the rural Indian ‘bazaar’ culture where one can buy anything under the sun.

Some of the areas that fall under Pallavaram constituency are Chrompet, Pammal, Pozhichalur, Anakaputhur, Tirusulam and Pallavaram.

Votes cast in 2016

• Total number of voters: 250277 (excluding postal votes)
• Male Voters: 127815
• Female voters: 122462
• Third gender: 0
• Polling percentage: 61.76%

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Read more: Unmet deadlines and delayed work. Know the status of Chennai’s vital projects

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Election results 2016

Karunanithi E (DMK) won by a margin of 22,165 votes

CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	Percentage of votes polled (As per ECI website)
Karunanithi I	DMK	112,891	44.94
Saraswathi C R	AIADMK	90,726	36.12
Veeralakshmi C	MDMK	14,083	5.61
Gopi Ayyasamy	BJP	11,781	4.69
Ventakesan R	PMK	9339	3.72
NOTA	—	5823	2.32

Incumbent MLA

• Karunanithi I
• Party: DMK
• S/o|D/o|W/o: S Iggnasi
• Age: 57
• Address: No.11/5, Thirupur Kumaran Street, Radha Nagar, Chrompet, Chennai 600 044
• Name Enrolled as Voter: Pallavaram (Tamil Nadu) constituency, at Serial no 752 in Part no. 185
• Email: ekapallavaram@gmail.com
• Contact Number: 94440 02029
• Self Profession: Social service
• Number of Criminal Cases: 3

Source: I Karunanithi(DMK):Constituency- PALLAVARAM(KANCHEEPURAM) – Affidavit Information of Candidate:

Promises made

1. Once in three months, special camps will be conducted for hearing and solving grievances. However, voters we reached out to denied having had any such camps.
2. Construction of roads in Pozhichalur in Ward 38
3. Replacing the railway level crossing near Radha Nagar with a subway (pending)

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Read more: Sandhai ku polama? Friday Pallavaram Bazaar offers flourishing business at the time of mushrooming grocery stores

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In the news

In 2019, Subhashree, a 23-year-old techie from Pallavaram, was crushed to death in Pallavaram by a water tanker after a roadside banner fell on her while she was riding. Pallavaram MLA I Karunanithi had lashed out at the ruling party and condemned AIADMK over the incident.

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Read more: Banners and hoardings to be back on city streets, much to citizens’ dismay

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Candidate list 2021

S. No	Name	Party	Age	Education/Occupation	Criminal Cases
1	I Karunanithi	Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	62	Real estate/Class 10	3 pending cases, 0 convicted
2	Rajendran C	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	60	Agriculture, politician/BA, BL	Nil
3	Senthil Kumar	Makkal Needhi Maiam	43	Activist/MCA	1 pending case, 0 convicted
4	Perumal R	Independent	43	Driver/Class 10	Nil
5	Balaji S	Independent	41	Driver/Class 10	Nil
6	Kanagaraj A	Independent	36	Tailor/Class 7	Nil
7	Bhaskaran P	Independent	68	Social work/Class 9	Nil
8	Michael J	Independent	50	Counsellor/D.Th	Nil
9	Sathyaseelan M	Lok Jan Sakthi Party	68	Retired/Class 10	Nil
10	Ajithkumar R	Puthiya Tamilagam	29	Labourer/Class 8	Nil
11	Gokulkrishnan S	Tamil Nadu Ilaignar Katchi	27	Business/Diploma in computer science	Nil
12	Sadam Hussain	Independent	26	Salaried/Class 10	Nil
13	Ramachandran R	Independent	28	Business/BBA	Nil
14	Karthick A	Independent	38	Driver/Class 5	Nil
15	Murugesan D	Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam	59	Politician/Class 10	1 pending; 0 convicted
16	Sasikumar Lakshmipathy	National Democratic Party of South India	42	Advocate/BA, BL	Nil
17	Sridharan A	Dravida Murpokku Makkal Katchi	64	Doctor/MBBS, PhD	Nil
18	Kumar V	Anna MGR Dravida Makkal Kazhagam	45	Business/NA	Nil
19	Veeralakshmi K	My India Party	32	Politician/MA	Nil
20	Minishree Kanagaraj	Nam Tamilar Katchi	36	House wife/B.Sc	Nil
21	Kumara Doss	Independent	40	Salaried/B.Sc	Nil
22	Serma Selvaraj	Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi	49	Advocate/MA, BL	Nil

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Read more: Search for history threatens Pallavaram homes

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Broad issues of the constituency

• The construction of a subway to replace the level crossing near Chrompet railway station in Radha Nagar is a project that was taken up more than a decade ago and still remains incomplete. The sitting MLA had in fact promised to get it done during his 2016 election campaign. “It is a multi-departmental project and it has been eight years since the Southern Railways completed the part of the work allocated to them. However, due to political reasons, the subway has still not been completed,” says David Manohar, an activist from Chrompet.
• Residents of this constituency have long demanded a merger with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). “Several parts of Pallavaram were planned and organised even before the core areas of the city were developed. Residents from parts of Pallavaram constituency pay their taxes to Chennai Corporation. It would be easier to carry out the day-to-day administration here, if the municipality is merged with the larger civic body,” says V Santhanam, a social activist from Pallavaram.
• Encroachments along water bodies is yet another major problem that people of this constituency face. Nemilichery Lake, Pallavaram Periya Eri and Putheri are some of the lakes situated in Pallavaram constituency. “If all the lakes are restored, dependence on water tankers can be eliminated. The lakes are currently contaminated with sewage,” adds David.

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Read more: Flowing water bodies become parched lands: Where did the water go?

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• Residents feel strongly about the need for construction of an overhead walkway at Tirusulam Railway Station. Residents of Tirusulam have been fighting for it for the past 10 years. In the absence of such a facility, people have to cross the tracks to reach the other side of the neighbourhood.
• In almost all the local bodies that fall under Pallavaram constituency, residents complain of poor waste management. “Solid waste management rules are flouted regularly, garbage is burned day in and day out at Cowl Bazaar in Pozhichalur panchayat,” says K Varun Babu, a resident of Pozhichalur.

Also read:

• Constituency round-up: Madhavaram voters look forward to regular water supply, sewage connections
• Constituency round-up: T Nagar, crying for an end to persistent civic problems
• Constituency round-up: Candidates in Tambaram and what voters want them to address