In 2011, Ambattur was one among the areas that were added to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). The neighbourhood has the biggest small scale industrial estate in South Asia and is witnessing a boom in the IT industry. While the quality of roads has improved in the recent past, overall development over the last three decades still leaves much to be desired. As an industrial estate, Ambattur constituency is home to a floating population, due to which the area falls behind in citizen activism. Since 2011, the constituency has seen an AIADMK candidate in the MLA seat.
Some of the areas in Ambattur constituency: Krishnapuram, Kallikuppam, Thathankuppam, Madhanankuppam, Oragadam, Korattur, Menambedu, Venkatapuram
Voters in 2016 (excluding postal votes)
- Total number of voters in 2016: 228596
- Male voters: 118658
- Female voters: 109935
- Third gender: 3
Polling percentage: 63.93%
Incumbent MLA
- Name: Alexander V
- Party: AIADMK
- Age: 44
- Address: No-20/79, Jeevan Bheema Nagar, Anna Nagar West Chennai-101
- Name Enrolled as Voter in: Ambathur (Tamil Nadu) constituency, at Serial no. 0 in Part no. 270
- Contact Number: 98410 33211
- Self Profession: Cable TV owner
Source: myneta.info
Criminal cases: Nil
Alexander V. (AIADMK) won by a margin of 17,498 votes in the 2016 State Assembly Elections.
| CANDIDATE | PARTY | VOTES | STATUS |
| Alexander V. | AIADMK | 94,375 | Won |
| Aassan Maulaana | INC | 76,877 | Lost |
| Sekar K.N. | PMK | 16,635 | Lost |
| Constandine Ravindran J | DMDK | 16,631 | Lost |
| Devarajan | BJP | 9,563 | Lost |
| Anbuthannesaran R. | NTK | 5,044 | Lost |
| Simran Kalati | YSP | 553 | Lost |
Source: Chennai Election Results 2016
Promises made
Before the 2016 elections, MLA Alexander had promised to execute and implement the underground drainage and water supply schemes which have been pending for over more than a decade. His promises also included converting open flood water canals to a proper stormwater drain network.
Also read: All that’s wrong in the roadmap to revive Korattur lake
In the news
Last June, 10 water bodies in and around Ambattur were taken up for restoration. Some of the lakes identified for rejuvenation include the water bodies in Oragadam, Pattaravakkam, Pari Nagar, Karukku, Menambedu and Thathankuppam. MLA Alexander had commented that many such water bodies remained neglected for more than 30 years. He also added that work is underway to restore key water bodies in Ambattur and Korattur.
Also read: The slow killing of Korattur Lake: Can it be reversed?
The State Public Works Department (PWD) initiated monsoon preparation works in October 2020 that included desilting and cleaning of water channels in the Kosasthalaiyar basin carrying rainwater to the water bodies in Korattur, Ambattur and Madhavaram. The MLA conducted an inspection and urged the officials to complete the work before the arrival of northeast monsoon.
Candidate list and details
| S. No | Name | Party | Symbol | Age | Occupation | Criminal cases |
| 1 | Joseph Samuel | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Rising sun | 58 | Business | Nil |
| 2 | V Alexander | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Two leaves | 49 | Agriculture | Nil |
| 3 | R Radha | Nationalist Congress Party | NA | 52 | Textile business | Nil |
| 4 | S Vaitheswaran | Makkal Needhi Maiam | Torchlight | 56 | Bank valuer | Nil |
| 5 | T Muniandi | Independent | NA | 65 | Auto driver | Nil |
| 6 | C Raghul | Independent | NA | 29 | Private company employee | Nil |
| 7 | G Soma Sundaram | Independent | NA | 39 | Self Advocate | Nil |
| 8 | A S Kesavan | Independent | NA | 53 | NA | Nil |
| 9 | Ravi | Independent | NA | 43 | Self-salaried | Nil |
| 10 | S Veena | Anaithu Makkal Arasiyal Katchi | NA | 53 | NA | Nil |
| 11 | Bharadan | Independent | NA | 33 | Self Advocate | Nil |
| 12 | T Joseph Samuvel SanthaKumar | Independent | NA | 39 | Marine engineer | Nil |
| 13 | G Srinivasan | Independent | NA | 45 | Self Advocate | Nil |
| 14 | S Praveen | Independent | NA | 32 | Business | Nil |
| 15 | A R Murugavel | Independent | NA | 50 | Acupuncture doctor | Nil |
| 16 | K Bharathi | Independent | NA | 40 | Lawyer | Nil |
| 17 | N Ganesan | Independent | NA | 49 | Business | Nil |
| 18 | S Vedhachalam | Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam | NA | 67 | NA | Nil |
| 19 | M S Arumugam | Independent | NA | 55 | Daily wage labourer | Nil |
| 20 | R Anbu Thenarasan | Naam Tamilar Katchi | NA | 57 | NA | Two cases — for participating in two protests — IPL and Eight-lane Salem-Chennai green corridor. |
| 21 | Narmada Nandhakumar | Independent | NA | 43 | Snacks and tea business | Nil |
| 22 | G Vijayakumar | Independent | NA | 63 | Construction worker | Nil |
| P Dhanraj | Independent | NA | 66 | Business | Nil |
Detailed affidavits for candidates can be downloaded here.
Broad issues of the constituency
- Widening of the rail overbridge at Ambattur Old Town is long overdue. Its absence is causing traffic blocks at this important junction. A multi-departmental project involving state highways, GCC and Southern Railways, it has been in the works for more than ten years now.
- Many elected representatives made promises of upgrading Ambattur Railway station to a terminus. But forget the terminus, many express trains do not even stop at this station that is used by thousands of employees from far-off Arakkonam and Vellore.
- Absence of a vehicular subway at the Ambattur railway station results in passengers dangerously crossing the tracks.
- Besides the Primary Health Care Centre (PHC) Padi that is equipped to treat inpatients (only maternity cases), the other five of them are only for outpatients. A 200-bed hospital in the zone has been an ask for quite some time.
- Two years ago, five corporation schools in Ambattur were upgraded to high schools. But the infrastructure remains inadequate, as there are not enough laboratories. Besides that, there is no higher secondary school for boys in Ambattur. While girls go to Kamarajar Higher Secondary School which is located within the neighbourhood, the boys have to travel all the way to Villivakkam to attend class 11 and 12.
- When the National Green Tribunal (NGT) inspected the Korattur Lake in the constituency, it was found that the topsoil of the water body was contaminated by dangerous heavy metals such as chromium, zinc, copper, etc., due to the illegal discharge of effluents from industries in Ambattur.
- The CTH road widening project, which was announced by the then late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, still has not been implemented. “It is leading to road accidents. As there is no tertiary care hospital within the constituency, people have to rush to either Government Kilpauk Hospital or the one in Thiruvallur district,” says S Sekaran, a civic activist from Korattur.
- Residents of this constituency have been buying drinking water for the past three decades as the sewage gets mixed with the rain water in stormwater drains.
Also read:
I am a resident of Moogambigai Nagar Kallikuppam. There are no govt. high school, hospital, post-office, police station etc. surrounding our area. Even bus transport is not adequate; only mini buses are plying via Moogambigai Nagar towards Villivakkam. Drainage facility is not provided.
OT railway bridge widening, CTH road widening, Improving industrial estate infrastructure, sewage improvements are long pending. None of the party’s campaign address these issues and neither DMk nor ADMK did anything big for this constituency.