CHENNAI: Unlike the late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who won all the 13 Assembly elections he contested, electoral victories did not come easily for his son Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin — just as how the position of DMK president and the opportunity to become the CM came only after a long wait and toil.
He lost the first Assembly election he contested from Thousand Lights in 1984. In the next five elections he contested from the same constituency, he lost once in 1991 and won the remaining four, although his last win from there was by a thin margin of around 2,500 votes against AIADMK’s Aadi Rajaram.
In 2011, he shifted to Kolathur, which was newly formed in 2009 during the delimitation exercise by carving out areas from Purasaiwalkam and Villivakkam constituencies.
Since then it has become his bastion with his victory margins widening in every election against his rivals from the AIADMK. In 2021, he delivered a crushing defeat to his former rival Rajaram by a victory margin of 41% and thereby making Kolathur a de-facto “first” constituency represented by the CM.
In the past five years, Stalin has made numerous visits to the constituency and brought in a number of projects. Inaugurating the new Arulmigu Kabaleeswarar College of Arts and Science of the HR&CE department in the constituency in February, he said Kolathur has become the 'model' constituency of his 'Dravidian model' government.
At the event, he mentioned a long list of projects implemented in Kolathur, which included a major upgrade of the Periyar Government hospital at a cost of Rs 210 crore with specialised departments, an air-conditioned bus stand, a marriage hall, upgraded parks, lakes and other civic facilities.
Newly-built and aesthetically designed civic amenities, many of which were inaugurated in the last few months ahead of the elections, could be spotted in almost every neighbourhood. Residents said several projects that no one thought of were also taken up after the DMK returned to power in 2021.
When TNIE visited different areas of Kolathur and interacted with the public, no one seemed to be in doubt that Stalin would win again from here in the upcoming 2026 Assembly polls.
Speaking to TNIE, HR&CE Minister P K Sekarbabu said, “Listing the number of welfare schemes implemented in Kolathur would take several pages. In this election too, the DMK will win the seat again.”
However, the question seemed to be whether it would be a victory as resounding as that of 2021, when he secured 61% of the polled votes.
While the AIADMK and other players may retain their core vote bank, the possibility of a shrunken margin emerges from the support actor-politician Vijay’s TVK seems to have garnered.
TNIE found that a section of youngsters in their early twenties and a section of people from low-income groups said they were looking for a change and felt that an opportunity should be given to new parties, probably the TVK, as they believe every party deserves a chance.
Located in north-western Chennai, amidst major residential, commercial and industrial hubs, including Madhavaram, Perambur, Ayanavaram ICF, Villivakkam, Puzhal, Padi and Korattur, Kolathur is home to predominantly low-income and lower-middle-income households. Several pockets also have a sizable presence of religious minorities of Muslims and Christians.
Residents from Siva Shakthi Nagar in Kolathur claimed that Vijay fan club members were working for the past three years in interior areas of Kolathur, engaging with the people, taking free tuitions for students and carrying out other welfare activities.
A 35-year-old resident from there said, despite promises, there are still thousands of families without proper basic amenities and it is only in the first week of March that the area got few street lights just ahead of the elections. This area was allegedly a water body earlier and that has prevented many from obtaining pattas despite residing there for long. Residents asserted that they may prefer a new political party as the locality has seen little improvement.
Residents of Mylappa Street said that, while aged voters are likely to support the DMK — particularly due to the party's focus on education and skill training — they noted that many of the youngsters were supporting the TVK.
On issues faced by residents, Neelakannan D of the Tamil Nadu Alliance of Residential Welfare Associations said that narrow arterial roads remain a major concern in Kolathur, despite being the CM's constituency.
He pointed out that Paper Mills Road, which connects Perambur to Red Hills, is heavily used by school-, college- and office-goers. “Several bus routes, including 142 and 242, operate along this stretch, but the road remains narrow, leading to severe congestion during peak hours. While infrastructure development has been good, basic necessities such as road widening and removal of footpath encroachments must also be addressed,” he stressed.
Another resident added to the newly-introduced electric buses that are wide also find it difficult to ply on these narrow roads.
Neelakannan added that Stalin must also ensure the closure of at least half the Tasmac outlets in Kolathur, stating that young teenagers are often spotted drinking alcohol at these spots.
A 53-year-old woman from Poompuhar Nagar said that although the Urimai Thogai scheme is widely known, she has not applied for it so far due to a lack of proper guidance on the application process, despite residing in the CM's constituency.
Several residents also complained about increases in property taxes, twice within five years.
Residents of areas such as Peravallur and Jawahar Nagar, which earlier faced severe flooding during the monsoon, said extensive stormwater drain works reduced stagnation in 2025. However, they also noted that rainfall last year was comparatively lower.
Vendors at the Kolathur Ornamental Fish Market said the new market complex built in Villivakkam to ease traffic during peak hours around the existing market has come with a high monthly rent of nearly Rs 14,000. They alleged that although vendors were asked to relocate five months ago, pressure has temporarily eased in view of the elections.
Sources from the AIADMK said the party is likely to field a strong candidate against Stalin, with at least three names under consideration, including Saidai Sa Duraisamy and Rajaram.
Duraisamy — the former Chennai mayor and staunch loyalist of late CMs M G Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, who lost to Stalin in 2011 by a narrow margin of just 1.92% — is said to be, however, reluctant as he reportedly feels sidelined as his appeal for bringing all expelled leaders back to the AIADMK was not needed.
There are also speculations that a female candidate, or a known leader from the BJP, who is keen to contest in more seats in Chennai as part of its alliance with the AIADMK, might contest.
Most residents that TNIE spoke to said that they don't want to see the AIADMK return to power, claiming that the constituency was neglected with no development during the 10 years when it was the ruling party, from 2011 to 2021.
They also pointed out that the party’s alliance with the BJP has made some hesitant. “The alliance makes us think twice before voting,” said a 66-year-old resident belonging to a minority community.
In Sembium, a Muslim-dominated area, several residents expressed support for Stalin. However, woman residents said the ruling party should place greater focus on ensuring their safety.
Seeman’s NTK, which has become the first party to announce its candidates for all 234 constituencies, has fielded lawyer-cum-businessman Soundara Pandian Louther Seth. This is his first election.
Following the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the total voter count in the constituency has decreased by 28.71%, dropping from 2.90 lakh voters before the revision to 2.07 lakh in the final electoral roll. With TNIE earlier finding that many eligible voters had been dropped, its potential impact on the results remains to be seen.
DMK sources said that at least eight voters in Thikkakulam, including four existing voters and four new applicants, were excluded from the final list as they did not return the filled Form 6 during the claims and objection phase. Now, they are required to apply online for inclusion, as offline submission is no longer being accepted, sources added.