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Egmore Assembly Constituency, located in central Chennai, is one of the city’s older and more densely populated constituencies. The Egmore Assembly constituency includes Egmore, Pudupet, Chintadripet, Chetpet, and parts of Purasawalkam. With a mix of long-established residential areas, commercial pockets and institutional zones, it also sees a steady floating population coming in for work, education and healthcare.
In Egmore, a few issues have come up repeatedly in recent years including flooding during the monsoon, especially in low-lying streets. Water supply remains uneven across pockets, with some residents relying on tankers. Congestion in busy commercial stretches also affects daily movement and local businesses.
The constituency is currently represented by I. Paranthamen of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who won in 2021. The DMK has held the seat for three consecutive terms since 2011.
Political Representation
Egmore is a reserved constituency, meaning only candidates from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities can contest the seat.
Candidates for 2026 polls
Egmore (SC) has the second lowest number of electors among Chennai’s Assembly constituencies, with around 1.34 lakh voters. Candidates from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and Naam Tamilar Katchi are in the fray.
A total of 18 candidates are in the fray for the 2026 Assembly elections. DMK has fielded Tamilan Prasanna, with sitting MLA I Paranthamen not being renominated for the seat.
Tamilan Prasanna is an advocate and party spokesperson known for his appearances in television debates. AIADMK has fielded Abishek Rengasamy, who is a law graduate and entrepreneur who has been with the party for nearly two decades. Both are first-time Assembly candidates.
Top candidates
| 2026 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Link to Affidavit |
| 1 | Abhishek R | Male | AIADMK | 36 | Download here |
| 2 | Tamilan Prasanna | Male | DMK | 43 | Download here |
| 3 | Rajmohan | Male | TVK | 39 | Download here |
All candidate details can be found on the portal of the ECI here.
2021 polling snapshot
- Total number of voters: 1,93,162
- Male Voters: 95,705
- Female voters: 97,382
- Third gender: 53
- Polling percentage: 74.16%
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous Results: 2021
| 2021 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (Share of vote %) |
| 1 | I Paranthamen | Male | DMK | 44 | 57.71% |
| 2 | B John Pandian | Male | AIADMK | 65 | 25.21% |
| 3 | U Priyadarshini | Female | MNM | 33 | 8.5% |
| 4 | NOTA | – | – | – | 0.6% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous Results: 2016
| 2016 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (Share of vote %) |
| 1 | K S Ravichandran | Male | DMK | 44 | 45.64% |
| 2 | Parithi Ellamvazhuthi E | Male | AIADMK | 56 | 36.79% |
| 3 | Venkatesan M | Male | BJP | 36 | 5.93% |
| 4 | Prabhu T | Male | DMDK | 34 | 5.24% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Incumbent MLA: I Paranthamen
I. Paranthamen is the sitting DMK MLA from Egmore, elected in 2021 after the party fielded him in the seat for the first time, replacing 2016 winner K.S. Ravichandran. A lawyer by profession, Paranthamen graduated from Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College and practised at the Madras High Court. He also served as a DMK spokesperson, active in the party’s media and public relations setup. Before winning Egmore, he had contested from Poonamallee in 2016, losing narrowly to AIADMK’s T.A. Elumalai. This year, Paranthamen steps aside with the DMK fielding Tamizhan Prasanna in his place.
MLA profile
Age: 44 (in 2021)
Educational qualification: B.A., B.L., Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai, 1999
Contact details: 9940940405
Criminal records: None
Social media presence
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iparanthamen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ipdmk
Website: https://paranthamen.info
Source and more details: Myneta.info
MLA in the media
Paranthamen launched a WhatsApp grievance bot, later expanded into the ‘Namma Egmore’ app inaugurated by Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, making him one of the first MLAs in the city to build a constituency-specific digital grievance redressal system.
In April 2023, Paranthamen was appointed as a syndicate member of Anna University, the executive council of the university. He filled the position previously held by Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, with his tenure running until September 2024.
In June 2023, Paranthamen publicly called out HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu on Twitter, accusing him of pressuring him to vacate his Egmore constituency office. The tweet, sarcastic in tone, thanked Sekarbabu while quoting a Tirukkural couplet on the downfall of those who sideline others. Party sources confirmed broader friction, alleging Sekarbabu had been systematically marginalising Paranthamen at DMK and government programmes within the constituency.
Key citizen demands
Sewage issues continue in interior streets even as waterlogging has reduced in some areas. Concerns around housing quality and basic amenities in clusters like K.P. Park and nearby settlements remain.
In parts of Periamet, residents have also flagged drug use and the need for better livelihood opportunities.
Cleaning the Cooum River and easing traffic congestion around Egmore Railway Station, along with improving commercial areas, are key demands in this election.
Residents Associations from Harrington Road and Lake Area in Nungabakkam submitted their demands as part of a larger citizens’ manifesto calling for greater avenues for public participation in working towards ‘Singara Chennai’. The manifesto covered key issues such as the need for better pedestrian infrastructure, strict zoning regulations, improved waste management and creation of better green cover.