Series: Assembly Elections 2021

The recent TN Assembly Elections saw the lowest voter turnout in the state in the past three elections. Chennai’s overall voter turnout stood at 59.06%, with only four constituencies registering turnout higher than 60%.What could explain the low turnout is that many eligible voters chose to sit it out on polling day and also that the inaccuracies in the voter rolls contributed to the issue. There have been instances of unexplained deletion of names of voters who found themselves unable to exercise their franchise in the assembly elections. Names of entire families who voted as recently as the Lok Sabha…

On April 6th, a humid day, Zaitoon Begum, a 87-year-old resident of Kottivakkam went to the nearby polling station to cast her vote. Presently a Sholinganallur constituent, Zaitoon Begum has been voting for more than six decades now — she voted first at the then Madras Presidency.  Zaitoon Begum's polling experience was smooth — social distancing was maintained at the booth, masks and gloves were mandated for all voters. But she is still a little disappointed, having had to visit the polling booth at a time when COVID infections are rising across Chennai. “Given the circumstances, the ballot box should…

Perambur is one of the constituencies in the northern part of the city. Much like other localities in North Chennai, it is a constituency primarily dominated by the working class.  Some of the areas that fall under Perambur Constituency are Vyasarpadi, parts of Kodungaiyur, parts of Perambur, Erukkancherry, Chinnandimadam, Lachumiamman Nagar, Kaviarasu Kannadasan Nagar, M.K.B Nagar and New Kamaraj Nagar.  Representative image. AIADMK candidate Vetrivel was elected as the MLA of Perambur constituency in the 2016 polls with 79,974 votes. Following the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, however, the party was split and Vetrivel joined TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma…

Virugambakkam constituency was formed in 2009 after merging parts of Villivakkam and Alandur constituencies. Located between the Coovum and Adyar River, some of the areas that form the constituency are M.G.R Nagar, Jafferkhanpet, K.K. Nagar, Nesapakkam, Saligramam and Rani Anna Nagar.  Koyambedu, the largest market for perishable goods in Asia, is one of the important landmarks in Virugambakkam constituency. The Koyambedu Market Management Committee is collaborating with Care Earth Trust NGO to undertake greening activities within the market complex. The NGO plans to create a small tree park. Besides prominent film artists, politicians and entrepreneurs residing here, there are a…

Velachery constituency consists of West Adyar, Tharamani, Sastri Nagar, Indra Nagar, Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur and Velachery localities. The entire area has excellent connectivity to all corners of the city, but suffers from traffic congestion and flooding issues during monsoons. The constituency is also home to a part of the city’s famed IT expressway with almost 70 offices in 20 buildings. The demographic is a mix of upper middle class and middle class residents. There is a sizable migrant population due to the availability of employment in the construction and IT industries that dominate the area. Representative image Votes cast (2016) …

Harbour constituency consists of localities such as Wall Tax road, Kondithope, Sowcarpet, Seven Wells Street, Broadway, Kachaleshwar Nagar, Muthialpet, Park Town and few wards in Anna Salai.  Broadway -- a central locality within Harbour constituency -- houses shops selling everything, from electrical appliances to handicrafts, plastic containers to thermocol items, hardware manufacturing items to software products. You are wrong if it gives an impression that the constituency is completely commercial. The footpaths of Wall Tax Road are home to many homeless, who work as daily labourers in these commercial complexes. Sowcarpet market which is known for gold plated jewelry has…

With more than 9 lakh voters, Villivakkam constituency was once the largest constituency in Asia. The constituency was delimited in 2008 to create Ambattur, Maduravoyal, Kolathur, Madhavaram and Virugambakkam constituencies.  This time, the incumbent MLA B Ranganathan (DMK) has not been offered a seat. The grandson of veteran Dravidian politician K Anbazhagan, A Vetriazhagan will be contesting on a DMK ticket against AIADMK’s JCD Prabhakar. Fondly known as Perasiriyar (professor), K Anbazhagan was General Secretary of DMK for over four decades and a close confidant of former CM M Karunanidhi. He passed away in March 2020 at the age of…

Sriperumbudur assembly constituency is famous for its factories and for being the site of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The constituency is highly industrialized, with many manufacturing units. Yet, large parts of the constituency struggle to get drinking water and basic amenities. Connectivity too has been a weak link, with citizens complaining of lack of frequent bus services. While the presence of the factories has brought some positive developments, the residential areas hope to see improvement in amenities and new infrastructure projects. Representative image. Sriperumbudur sees a faceoff between incumbent ADMK MLA K Palani and Selvapurnthagai K…

Sholinganallur, once a village on the outskirts of Chennai, developed over time to become an upmarket neighbourhood in the city. The growth is primarily attributed to rapid development on the IT expressway and also the booming real estate sector, that propped up residential and commercial use.  Historically-important places like Kovalam and Mahabalipuram are close by. Sholinganallur is a densely populated constituency. The East Coast Road portion of the constituency houses the fishermen community and IT employees. Beach villas owned by bigwigs and celebrities dot the coastline. Read more: Rs 700 crore spent annually as OMR residents wait in vain for…

Egmore is one of the oldest and largest assembly constituencies in Chennai. Formed in 1957, the constituency is home to several important government buildings such as the Egmore Railway Station, Egmore Museum and Connemara Library. It is one of the busiest transportation hubs in Chennai. Egmore and Chetpet areas still retain some of the infrastructure constructed in the colonial period.  Minority communities constitute a major part of the demography here. The main areas are Besant Nagar, Thattankulam, Choolai, Park Town, Purasawalkam, Gangadeeswarar Koil, Kilpauk South, Anbazhagan Nagar, Perumalpet, Kannappar Nagar, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Chetpet and Egmore. Read more: Why a…