This reserved constituency, carved out of the Perambur constituency, presents a mix of high-rise buildings along with lower-middle-class neighbourhoods. Named after Tamil scholar Thiru V. Kalyanasundaram, it comprises areas such as Pattalam, Otteri, Jamalia, Pulianthope, and parts of Perambur and Ayanavaram. It covers roughly around 7 sq km. As of 2019, it had around 2 lakh + voters, with a high proportion of Scheduled Caste communities. The constituency is 100% urban.
It is primarily a residential area with many small workshops and a high population industrial/garment workers, making it a critical constituency for welfare-driven politics. Thiru Vi Ka Nagar (SC) in Central-North Chennai is a key working-class constituency with a history of strong labour movement, Dalit assertion, and intense DMK-AIADMK rivalry.
Map showing Thiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar constituency. Pic courtesy: OpenCity.in
Political representation
Thiru–Vi–Ka Nagar is Assembly Constituency No. 15 — a Scheduled Caste reserved constituency in North Chennai.
Candidates for 2026 polls
This time, Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar is preparing for an interesting contest, with former Egmore MLA K.S. Ravichandran and Porkodi Armstrong, wife of former Bahujan Samaj Party leader, Armstrong, in the fray.
Porkodi Armstrong, wife, of K Armstring who was hacked to death, is standing for election in this constituency from the AIADMK party. P Sivakumar (Thayagam Kavi), who contested and won the 2021 election on a DMK ticket, has this time been replaced by KS Ravichandran, who contested and won from Egmore constituency in the 2016 assembly election.
Other parties like TVK and NTK are also fielding contestants. A total of 23 constituents are contesting from here.
Top candidates
| 2026 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Link to affidavit |
| 1 | Porkodi Armstrong | Female | AIADMK | 51 | Download here |
| 2 | K. S. Ravichandran | Male | DMK | 55 | Download here |
| 3 | M. R. Pallavi | Female | TVK | 36 | Download here |
All candidate details can be found on the portal of the ECI here.
2021 Polling snapshot
- Total number of voters: 1,33,880
- Male Voters: 66,441
- Female voters: 66,609
- Others: 9
- Polling percentage: 61.01%
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous results: 2021
| 2021 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (Share of vote %) |
| 1 | Sivakumar, alias Thayagam Kavi | Male | DMK | 55 | 61.13% |
| 2 | Kalyani.P.L | Female | ADMK | 55 | 19.98% |
| 3 | Illavanji.Dr.R | Female | NTK | 44 | 8.17% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Previous results: 2016
| 2016 | Candidate | Sex | Party | Age | Votes polled (Share of vote %) |
| 1 | Sivakumar, alias Thayagam Kavi | Male | DMK | 51 | 45.25% |
| 2 | Neelakandan V | Male | ADMK | 68 | 42.82% |
| 3 | Suganthi | Female | CPM | 48 | 4.18% |
Source: Election Commission of India
Incumbent MLA: Sivakumar alias Thayagam Kavi
He has served as MLA for Thiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar constituency for 2 consecutive periods: from 2016-21 and 2021-26. He is a lawyer by profession. He got his post-graduate degree in M.A. in Public Administration via distance education from Chennai University in 2012. He is also the State Deputy Secretary of the Youth Wing of his party. He has declared total assets of 2+ Crore and liabilities of ~43 + Lakhs
He has 15 criminal cases against him. The nature of these cases primarily involves public order offences, unlawful assembly, and violations of government orders. Many of these sections are commonly invoked during protests, unauthorised gatherings, or public demonstrations. The most serious cases are charges of assaulting public servants (353) and damaging property or using weapons.
MLA profile
Age: 55
Educational qualifications: Post graduate
Contact details: 9841060863
Email: thayagamkavi@gmail.com
Criminal cases: 15
- charges related to Punishment for Being member of an unlawful assembly (IPC Section-143)
- charges related to Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant (IPC Section-188)
Social media presence:
Social media presence: https://www.youtube.com/@thayagamkavimla7053
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐦 𝐊𝐚𝐯𝐢 𝐌.𝐋.𝐀., (@thayagamkavi)
MLA in the media
P Sivakumar, alias, Thayagam Kavi was in the news for raising the maximum number of questions (8,446), in the assembly. When the DMK released its list of candidates, he was replaced by KS Ravichandran, who had won the 2016 election from Egmore.
Key citizen demands
The main demand of the residents of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar is to improve the quality of the roads, and have more efficient waste management systems. There are frequent sewage overflows and clogged drains, raising concerns over public health and mosquito breeding.