The Mylapore constituency in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai represents a blend of heritage, affluence and working-class settlements. It comprises neighbourhoods like Mylapore, Santhome, Mandaveli, R.A. Puram, Annai Sathya Nagar, and parts of Nandanam and Foreshore Estate, with the Buckingham Canal traversing through it.

Its iconic landmarks include the Kapaleeshwarar Temple and its tank, Santhome Cathedral Basilica, the Chennai Lighthouse, Ramakrishna Math, Madras Sanskrit College, and Vivekanandar Illam. The segment also encompasses a couple of affluent enclaves—Boat Club and R. A. Puram. Fishing hamlets like Pattinapakkam and Srinivasapuram are also part of the constituency.

Political profile

Mylapore has witnessed shifting political dominance since the 1960s, with the Congress initially and then the DMK and AIADMK emerging victorious at different times. It even saw a BJP victory in 2001, when the party’s former State president, K. N. Lakshmanan, won as part of the DMK alliance.

After that, the AIADMK bagged the seat thrice consecutively from 2006—actor S. Ve. Shekher in 2006, R. Rajalakshmi in 2011 and former Director General of Police (DGP) R. Natraj in 2016, despite the lingering devastation of the 2015 floods.

In 2021, the DMK regained the seat after twenty years with Dha. Velu emerging victorious. This time, he is up against ex-BJP State president and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is seeking to enter the Tamil Nadu Assembly for the first time.

Other contenders are R.L. Arun of the Naam Tamilar Katchi, which is led by Seeman, and P. Venkataramanan of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam founded by actor Vijay.

Current issues

Residents express concerns about substance abuse, safety and livelihood issues. “During the last five years, the availability of drugs and alcohol appears to have grown multifold, leading to increased addiction. Many people, especially youth, lie on pavements. It is a major safety hazard for women and children. Multiple complaints have yielded no results,” said Mathiyazhagan, a fisherman from Srinivasapuram.

Anusuya and her friend, Desamma, fish vendors and workers at a beachside food stall and residents of Pattinapakkam for over 60 years, pointed to rising fuel costs. “Our businesses have been hit as fuel prices have increased; fishermen have hiked rates to compensate for diesel prices for their boats. Even basic cooking has become difficult due to the irregular availability of gas cylinders. Inflation has hit the daily wage workers the hardest,” they said.

“Buying gold is now a dream for the poor. How would we buy gold for our daughters, especially for their weddings? We cannot afford even a sovereign,” they added. Similar concerns were echoed by fruit and flower vendors near Mylapore temple.

Civic infrastructure

Mylapore continues to grapple with civic infrastructure woes despite being one of the oldest urban localities of Chennai.

“In the 1950s, small country boats with goods plied the Buckingham Canal, and the waters were clean. Now, it is irreversibly polluted and neglected by successive regimes,” said V. N. Subramanian, a resident of St. Mary’s Road in R.A. Puram. “Even a brief spell of rain leads to inundation due to rapid urbanisation and illegal sewage discharge. Frequent road digging and accidents are common,” he added.

“There is a dearth of green spaces,” said Ganga Sridhar of the Mandaveli Raja Street Residents Welfare Association. Petty thefts and safety concerns linked to alcoholism near TASMAC outlets are frequent in R.A. Puram, she said. Ragu, another resident, pointed out the menace of growing plastic waste.

Developmental promises

Sitting MLA Dha. Velu said if re-elected, he would focus on mitigating traffic congestion—exacerbated by Metrorail work—and bolstering infrastructure such as drainage, surveillance, and housing. “I will develop Mylapore through temple restoration, tourism initiatives, and youth support, with a long-term goal of making it a slum-free area,” he said.