ELECTIONS

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 PollsTop candidates2021 Polling snapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA: MK MohanMLA profileKey citizen demandsAlso read Located in the north-western part of Chennai, Anna Nagar was named after former Chief Minister CN Annadurai. Formerly known as Naduvakkarai, the residential was developed by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board in the 1970s. Characterised by a grid-layout of seven major avenues, this area boasts wide roads and designated green spaces.  Populated by the majorly upper-middle class, this constituency contains planned neighbourhoods. It also has three major metro stations, and is proximal to Koyambedu and CMBT bus stations. As…

Table of contents Political Representation Candidates for 2026 polls Top candidates Previous Results: 2021 Previous Results: 2016 Also read: Located in South Chennai, the Velachery Assembly constituency encompasses both old, planned residential localities and congested areas. It is home to major IT hubs and some of the city’s premium educational institutions, including the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and Anna University. The constituency's demographic includes a mix of middle-class and upper middle-class residents, along with a sizeable migrant population. The constituency includes the localities of Adyar, Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Tharamani, Velachery and parts of Adambakkam.  Despite being well-connected to other parts…

Table of contentsPolitical representationCandidates for 2026 polls2021 Polling snapshotPrevious results: 2021Previous results: 2016Incumbent MLA: J. KarunanithiMLA profileMLA in the mediaKey Citizen DemandsAlso read: T Nagar is the commercial heart of Chennai, famously recognized as South India’s premier shopping hub and a high-profile constituency that generates massive retail revenue, particularly in silk and gold. Located in central-south Chennai, it encompasses prominent localities like West Mambalam, Pondy Bazaar, Kodambakkam, and Ashok Nagar, serving as a bridge between the city’s residential charm and its intense commercial activity. While the area is home to a diverse demographic ranging from traditional middle-class families to wealthy…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidatesPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Also read: 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…

Every year, as the north-eastern monsoon approaches, residents in Chennai are on high alert, fearing a deluge. The memories of the 2015 floods, the aftermath of Cyclone Michaung in 2023 and annual flooding continue to haunt citizens even as they head to vote this April.  The Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919 points out that the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) must provide and maintain a sufficient system of public drains throughout the city. Recently, the GCC claimed that 88% of stormwater drain (SWD) works have been finished and that ₹6,475 crore was spent over four years on this. This covers 1,235…

As election day inches closer in Chennai, there is deeper scrutiny of the issues in the city’s 16 constituencies and the changes called for. Waste management is one such problem area that the city has been grappling with for years. The state and local governments have failed to come up with an effective policy and strict implementation of rules, and voters have voiced their concerns and called for concrete changes in their manifestos. India generates 62 million tonnes of waste annually, which is projected to triple by 2030. In Chennai, 6150 Metric Tonnes (MT) of garbage is collected and ferried…

As cities grow rapidly, traffic, buildings, and loss of green cover inevitably follow. In 1974, the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) covered 1,189 sq. km; by 2022, it had expanded to 5,904 sq. km, bringing with it challenges of governance. Gaps in governance are foremost on the minds of the 28.3 lakh Chennai voters set to elect their Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on April 23rd. The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government made 505 promises in 2021, of which it claims to have met 80%. But as residents and citizen groups come up with their manifestos ahead of the April…

As Mumbai votes to elect its city corporators on January 15, many citizens’ groups and civil society organisations have voiced their demands for better civic infrastructure. They have also highlighted the frustrations of daily problems faced by residents due to the absence of a municipal council. Last weekend, over 50 people from across Mumbai gathered with one shared purpose: to reimagine what a truly inclusive, responsive city could look like. Mumbaikars aged 18 to 60 deliberated on what was urgently needed for their city — better infrastructure, improved accessibility and good governance. The event, called the WISE Voting Weekend, was…

After nearly four years of delay, Mumbai is finally set to hold its municipal elections on January 15. The last elected council completed its term in 2022, and in the absence of fresh polls, the city’s civic body was placed under an administrator for the first time in forty years. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), established in 1888, is the governing authority responsible for delivering essential civic services — from water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management to public health, infrastructure, roads, and education. With a staggering budget of ₹74,427 crore for 2025–26, it is the wealthiest municipal body in…

Chandivali is a rapidly developing, upscale residential and commercial suburb in Andheri East, with both business hubs and green spaces such as the Powai Lake. It is close to the neighbourhoods of Powai, Saki Naka and Vikhroli. Many long-pending civic issues in the locality need the attention of the municipal authorities, and the residents of Chandivali have been demanding infrastructure development in the area. As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election approaches, we reiterate our demand for better roads and improved civic facilities. Since founding the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA) in 2017, we have consistently raised and reported numerous…