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Perambur is constituency number 12 in Chennai, located in the northern part of the city, and falls under the Chennai North Lok Sabha constituency. One of the largest railway coach manufacturing facilities in Asia, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), is located in Perambur. It was established in 1955, employing thousands of workers and engineers. Key areas include the ICF colony, Perambur Barracks Road, Peravallur, Kosapet, and Kannigapuram. As per the 2011 census, the constituency has a total population of around 3.06 lakh.
The 2026 election has made Perambur a highly watched constituency in Chennai, with actor-politician Vijay contesting on the TVK ticket against incumbent R.D. Shekar of the DMK and PMK’s Thilagabama.
Political Representation
It is a General category assembly seat
Candidates for 2026 polls
TVK party chief, and actor turned politician Vijay is contesting from Perambur making it to the headlines. He is contesting against sitting MLA, R D Shekar, who was first elected in the 2019 by-election.
The NDA alliance (AIADMK, BJP, PMK and others) has fielded M. Thilagabama from PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) and S. Vetri Thamizhan is the NTK candidate.
On the ground, the Perambur contest is playing out as a clash between DMK’s established election machinery running at full throttle and Vijay’s personality-driven campaign. Reports suggest that it is a challenging path Vijay has embarked on to contest from a DMK stronghold. Anti-incumbency in the constituency could play out in Vijay’s favour.
Vijay canceled the door-to-door campaign in Perambur at the last minute.
Top candidates
| 2026 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Link to Affidavit |
| 1 | R.D. Shekar | Male | DMK | 59 | Download Here |
| 2 | C. Joseph Vijay | Male | TVK | 52 | Download Here |
| 3 | M. Thilagabama | Female | NTK | 56 | Download Here |
| 4 | S. Vetri Thamizhan | Male | TVK | 40 | Download Here |
All candidate details can be found at ECI here.
2021 Polling Snapshot
- Total number of voters: 2,00,777
- Male Voters: 1,00,105
- Female voters: 99,294
- Others: 11
- Polling percentage: 63.55%
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous Results 2021
| 2021 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (Share of vote %) |
| 1 | R.D. Shekar | Male | DMK | 54 | 52.53% |
| 2 | Dhanapalan N.R | Male | ADMK | 69 | 25.1% |
| 3 | Ponnusamy. A | Female | NTK | 35 | 9.89% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous Results 2016
| 2016 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (Share of vote %) |
| 1 | P Vetrivel | Male | ADMK | 55 | 42.39% |
| 2 | N R Dhanapalan | Male | DMK | 64 | 42.39% |
| 3 | A Soundara Rajan | Male | CPM | 69 | 5.45 |
Source: Election Commission of India
Incumbent MLA: R.D Shekar
R.D. Shekar has been associated with the DMK for over 30 years, starting as a member of the party’s student wing in 1988. He was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in a 2019 by-election after the sitting MLA was disqualified, and retained the seat comfortably in 2021 with 52.53% of the vote. He has remained with the DMK throughout his political career. He is contesting the 2026 elections from the same seat, though it is significantly more contested this time with TVK’s C. Joseph Vijay (actor Vijay’s party) also in the fray.
MLA profile
Age: 54 (in 2021)
Educational qualification: Graduate Professional
LLB Government law College, Chennai, 2006
B.Com Thiyagaraya College, Chennai, 1990
Contact details: 044 – 4690 1698 / rdsekar05@gmail.com
Criminal records:
- 9 charges related to Punishment for Being member of an unlawful assembly (IPC Section-143)
- 8 charges related to Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant (IPC Section-188)
- 1 charges related to Punishment for Rioting (IPC Section-147)
- 1 charges related to Punishment for wrongful restraint (IPC Section-341)
- 1 charges related to Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt (IPC Section-323)
- 1 charges related to Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life (IPC Section-269)
Social media presence:
X: rdsekarmla
Facebook: rdshekarmla
Instagram: rdshekarmla
MLA in the media
There is no prominent media coverage about the MLA in his tenure since 2019 by-elections.
Key citizen demands
- In Perambur and Vyasarpadi, the Perambur Neighbourhood Development Forum (PNDF) pointed to streets choked by illegal parking and absence of pedestrian infrastructure.
- Removal of encroachments
- Desilting and upgrading stormwater drains
- Proper underground sewerage systems
- Long-term flood mitigation planning
- Perambur voters raise concerns over dumping yard
- Upgrading and improving the infrastructure in schools and colleges and setting up special training centers to achieve proficiency in communication skills.