GENRE: Explainers

Here is a quick guide to all that you might want to know as you prepare to cast your vote. Before you vote 1. Find your Assembly constituency: Click here 👉 2. Find your polling booth: Click here 👉 3. Check the list of candidates: Full list here 👉 Info for voters - by constituency Find your constituency details and information on candidates 8 Ambattur 9 Madhavaram 10 Thiruvottiyur 11 Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar 12 Perambur 13 Kolathur 14 Villivakkam 15 Thiru.Vi.Ka.Nagar (SC) 16 Egmore (SC) 17 Royapuram 18 Harbour 19 Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni 20 Thousand Lights 21 Anna Nagar 22 Virugambakkam 23…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationTop candidates 2021 Polling snapshotPrevious Results: 2021 Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA:  KP Shankar MLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read: Located in the northernmost reaches of the city, Thiruvottiyur encompasses key localities such as Manali, Wimco Nagar, Kathivakkam, and Kaladipet, acting as a gateway where historic religious landmarks like the Thyagarajaswamy Temple meet sprawling industrial complexes. The area is home to a diverse workforce, primarily comprising industrial laborers, small-scale entrepreneurs, and a significant fishing community residing in over 20 coastal villages. It is frequently in the news for toxic air and groundwater pollution, recurring oil leaks, and the depletion…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results 2021Previous Results 2016Incumbent MLA: Ebenezer J J (aka) John Ebenezer JMLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read: Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar, commonly known as RK Nagar, is an assembly constituency located in the northern coastal part of Chennai. The area is characterised by fisher community settlements, port-linked labour colonies and informal housing clusters. The population depends highly on welfare delivery systems. Narrow streets, crowded residential clusters, coastal roads and industrial zones are major characteristics of the area. Bus connections from Central to North Chennai are strong, however better connection…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 PollsTop Candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA: A Vetriazhagan .MLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read Villivakkam, a prominent urban constituency in the city, presents a mix of long-established, densely-populated low-income residential areas, an industrial cluster, and rapidly expanding middle-class areas, some of which have given way to apartment complexes in recent years. Once the largest constituency in the city, Villivakkam has shrunk in size as many constituencies, including Ambattur, Kolathur, Madhavaram, Maduravoyal, and Virugambakkam, were carved out of it following the delimitation process. Areas that come under Villivakam including Villivakkam…

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…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA: Sekar Babu P KMLA profileCriminal records: 25LAD Funds Utilisation MLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read: Harbour is constituency number 18 in Chennai, located in the northern part of the city and directly adjacent to the Chennai Port. It falls under the Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency with a population of around 2.64 lakh as per the 2011 census. With a SC population at around 23%. The constituency covers commercial and residential areas including George Town, Sowcarpet, Mannady, Broadway, Muthialpet, Kondithope, and Wall Tax Road. George…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 polling snapshotPrevious results: 2016Incumbent MLA: Aravind RameshMLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read: Sholinganallur, Tamil Nadu’s largest assembly constituency, remains a major IT hub struggling with a difficult "rurban" transition. It was formed in 2011 after the delimitation exercise. As of early 2026, rapid urbanisation has outpaced core infrastructure, leaving areas like Pallikaranai and Jalladianpet prone to severe monsoon flooding. The lack of a comprehensive underground drainage network leads to sewage overflows and stagnation. Despite its high revenue status, many neighbourhoods still lack piped water and sewage systems, forcing heavy reliance…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 polling snapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Key citizen demandsAlso read: Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni is constituency number 19 in Chennai, sitting right in the heart of the city along the eastern coastal stretch near Marina Beach. It covers areas including Triplicane, Chintadripet, Adikesavapuram and Chepauk, and falls under the Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency. It is entirely urban with a population of around 3.15 lakh as per the 2011 census, with the scheduled caste (SC) population at around 15%.  The area is a dense mix of residential, commercial and cultural life, known for landmarks such as…

When we discuss urban nature, we often forget about real natural habitats. In Bengaluru, widely called the Garden City, most talks about urban nature focus on landscaped parks, roadside trees, and manicured gardens; in other words, artificial ecosystems designed for looks and human comfort. As lay citizens, we usually notice only such nature as we see around our homes, workplaces or other areas we generally pass by. While these places do have some ecological value, they mostly support a few highly adaptable species. This has strong negative implications for native flora and fauna that depend on open scrublands, grasslands, rocky…

Imagine you’re out on a morning walk, phone in hand, when you spot a butterfly you’ve never seen before. You snap a photo, log it into a citizen science app, and voila! You’ve just contributed to crucial biodiversity monitoring. This isn’t just a hobby; it’s part of a global movement where ordinary people collect, record, and sometimes analyse data about plants, animals, and ecosystems. Citizen science stretches the reach of ecological research. Every observation adds to unique longitudinal datasets that reveal phenology — periodic events in the life cycle of a species — along with species distribution shifts and population…