Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency sits at the heart of the city. The constituency was formed after a merger during the delimitation exercise in 2008 and has seen two state assembly elections, 2011 and 2016, since. Long regarded as a stronghold of the DMK, the constituency lost its sitting MLA, who served it twice, to the COVID-19 pandemic. The constituency includes areas like Chepauk, Triplicane, Chintadripet and Pudupet.

This time around, Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni has become the cynosure of all eyes due to the high profile candidature of Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of DMK leader Stalin and the secretary of the party’s youth wing. He is up against A V A Kassali of the Paatali Makkal Katchi. 

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Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni is a densely populated constituency  and one of the oldest parts of the city. With mostly mixed use neighbourhoods that see shops and residences side-by-side, the constituents deal with issues of congestion and encroachment on a daily basis. The primary issues that the residents hope to see resolved relate to civic amenities and newer public facilities such as playgrounds and recreational spaces. 

Votes cast (2016)

• Total number of voters:  143669
• Male Voters: 73375
• Female voters: 69643 
• Third gender: 5
• Polling percentage: 62.30%

2016 election results:

MLA Profile 2016

• Name: J Anbazhagan (Deceased) 
• Party: DMK
• Age: 62
• Victory margin: 14,164 votes

Source: ECI 

In the news

• When batting for the seat in 2016, J Anbazhagan’s promises included Anbazhagan a facelift for Marina, a new swimming pool, return of cricket to Chepauk and desilting of Cooum.
• MLA J Anbazhagan who won the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni seat twice, moved the Madras High Court, calling for a probe into the Gutkha scam to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation as the scam allegedly involved politicians from the ruling party, high ranking bureaucrats and police officers. He was subsequently involved in protests and picketing of the office of TN DGP calling for removal of Police Chief TK Rajendran.
• The MLA also issued a legal notice to then Mylapore DCP V Balakrishnan for his comments on the police action during Jallikattu protests. Anbazhagan alleged that the comments made by the officer while the matter was subjudice went against the service rules for civil servants.
• When the city was in the throes of a water crisis in 2019, J Anbazhagan was part of the protest organised by the opposition calling for action on the issue by the government.
• The MLA also participated in a public hearing by civil society organisation urging better preparedness in the face of floods faced by the city. 
• J Anbazhagan issued an apology for damaging footpaths by erecting boards and hoardings for his party, promising swift action to remove the hoardings and repair damage, after having been called out by the NGO Arappor Iyakkam for indulging in the practice even after hoardings were banned by orders of the High Court. 
• The high Court declined to discharge J Anbazhagan in a case of extortion filed against him in 2011. 
• J Anbazhagan was one of the first elected representatives to die of COVID-19 when he fell ill in June 2020. He had been involved in his party’s pandemic response on the ground. 

Know your candidates now:

Key issues:

• Encroachment is an issue that many residents complain of from neighbouring shops and commercial establishments. As arterial roads such as Bell’s Road and Pycroft’s Road runs through the area, residents request better parking facilities. “ Most of the time, the footpath and other spaces are encroached upon for parking by visitors and owners of shops. This is a huge hindrance and safety hazard for those who walk on these roads. A proper parking lot or multi-level parking facility will solve this issue”, says Kadhija R of Pycroft’s Road.
• Another oft reported issue is that of congestion, with unregulated construction leading to packed housing and commercial establishments. Velumani A, a resident of Chepauk said, ”I’ve lived here all my life and I see all these newer buildings have come up in place of old homes. The new ones are cramped and multi-storeyed and do not follow any building norms. They also encroach roads, making them narrower. If there is a fire in some of these streets or buildings, we will be in real danger as none of the construction is regulated.”

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• The cleaning of Cooum has been on the agenda for many years but not much headway has been made, which is another persistent problem highlighted by the residents. 
• While the section of streets closer to the beach are well-maintained, other areas suffer from neglect. The by lanes of Triplicane, Chintadripet and Pudupet suffer lack of planning and basic amenities. “We need more public toilets, playgrounds and parks. Due to the congested nature of the streets, these are all absent. I hope some of these projects can be taken up on priority especially after the pandemic”, says Alphonse P of Chintadripet. 

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