Kolathur definitely makes headlines: it is a high-profile constituency represented by the incumbent chief minister MK Stalin of the DMK. He is contesting for the 4th time from the same constituency.
Located in the north-western part of Chennai, Kolathur is equidistant from both Koyambedu bus station and Chennai Central railway station, and is well-connected by road with all major localities of the city. Close by are the highly developed residential, commercial and industrial centres — Anna Nagar, Purasawalkam and ICF, respectively.
Since its inclusion within city limits, Kolathur has developed rapidly. It has six multi-speciality hospitals and a few colleges, and is developing further with many commercial outlets being built in close proximity. Doctors, students, employees, and business people constitute a major chunk of residents here.
A well-connected, rapidly developing Chennai suburb, it is a part of Chennai Metro’s phase 2, corridor 5 (Madhavaram to Sholinganallur). It will have 2 metro stations, Kolathur Junction Metro and Srinivasa Nagar Metro.
Kolathur assembly constituency consists of Srinivasa Nagar, Senthil Nagar, Periyar Nagar, Kumaran Nagar, Poombugar Nagar, Agaram, Sembiam and Ayanavaram localities.
Political representation
This constituency comes under the general category.
Candidates for 2026 polls
This is a high-profile constituency—the incumbent chief minister, MK Stalin, from the DMK is contesting from here. AIADMK, TVK, and Naam Tamilar Katchi have also fielded contestants from this constituency.
| 2026 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Link to affidavit |
| 1 | M.K Stalin | Male | DMK | 72 | Download here |
| 2 | P. Santhana Krishnan | Male | AIADMK | 51 | Download here |
| 3 | V. S. Babu | Male | TVK | 75 | Download here |
Details of all candidates can be found on the portal of the ECI here.
2021 polling snapshot
- Total number of voters: 2,68,296
- Male voters: 1,31,669
- Female voters: 1,36,627
- Others: 0
- Polling percentage: 64.6%
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous results 2021
| 2021 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (share of vote %) |
| 1 | M.K. Stalin | Male | DMK | 68 | 61.4% |
| 2 | Aadirajaram | Male | AIADMK | 62 | 20.5% |
| 3 | A. Jagadish Kumar | Male | 3 | 31 | 8.2% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous results 2016
| 2016 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (share of vote %) |
| 1 | M.K. Stalin | Male | DMK | 63 | 54.2% |
| 2 | J.C.D. Prabhakar | Male | AIADMK | 64 | 31.8% |
| 3 | P. Mathivannan | Male | DMDK | 33 | 3.7% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Incumbent MLA: MK Stalin
MK Stalin is the third son of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi. He studied at Presidency College, Chennai. Starting his political career in the 1960s, he was elected to the DMK general committee in 1973. He was imprisoned during the Emergency in 1976. In 1983, he became the secretary of DMK’s youth wing. The youth wing has its origin in a youth group that he started in 1966. He held the post of the Secretary of the youth wing for thirty four years. He served as the Mayor of Chennai from 1996 to 2002. He has been elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly eight times. In 2011, 2016, and 2021, he won from Kolathur, from where he is contesting again.
MLA profile: MK Stalin
Age: 72
Educational qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Political Science
Contact details: 044-23456600
Email: mkstalin@dmk.in
Criminal records: Nil
Social media:
X: @mkstalin
Instagram: mkstalin
MLA in the media
In an interview with Frontline magazine, MK Stalin said that if elected to power, they are planning to increase the amount under KMUT to Rs. 2000. He added that they will give “Illatharasi” (Homemaker) coupons worth Rs. 8,000 so women can buy household appliances they want. In the same interview, he also said that this election is an ideological battle between “Tamil Nadu Team” and “Delhi Team” and that the “Delhi Team” stands for authoritarianism.
After the delimitation bill failed in the parliament, in an interview to The News Minute, he said that he opposed the bill to protect the political rights and representation of Tamil Nadu. He further added that welfare schemes cannot be equated to freebies, as the former have a sound economic basis. He also explained the rationale behind schemes like Illatharasi.
The incumbent Chief Minister was also in the news earlier for inaugurating infra projects worth over Rs. 45 crore in the Kolathur assembly constituency under the North Chennai Development Plan.
Key citizen demands
Citizens believe that Kolathur has the potential to become a model constituency in all aspects. According to them, this can be achieved with improved coordination between different departments so that there is faster execution of projects. Residents also continue to demand better road quality and maintenance, especially internal roads, as well as better waste management practices.
Also read:
- Pre-poll report card: Flood risks and incomplete stormwater drains in Chennai
- Pre-poll report card: Chennai’s persistent waste crisis needs better policy, say residents