1.  Constituency At a Glance

Key Sub-Localities

Mylapore · Abhiramapuram · Mandaveli · R A Puram · Luz Avenue · Dr Ranga Road · Luz Church Road · Adyar (fringe) · Alwarpet

2.  Constituency Overview

Mylapore is Assembly Constituency No. 25 — the seat most associated with Chennai’s Brahminical cultural heritage. Home to the 2,000-year-old Kapaleeshwarar Temple, the Luz Church, the elite residential streets of R A Puram and Dr Ranga Road, and the historic residential quarter of Abhiramapuram, Mylapore carries a cultural weight beyond its voter count. In 2026, the NDA has allocated Mylapore to the BJP rather than the AIADMK — an explicit acknowledgment that BJP’s voter base here (upper-caste Brahmin, upwardly mobile Hindu households) is better served by the Lotus symbol than by Two Leaves. TVK has fielded its Treasurer P. Venkataraman from Mylapore.

3.  2026 Candidates and Party Positions

DMK — T. Velu (B.A., LL.B.) — Re-nominated

T. Velu (Mylai Velu) won Mylapore in 2021 by 12,633 votes — reversing an AIADMK trend. He is re-nominated as the DMK’s candidate in 2026. Mylapore’s demographic is not the DMK’s strongest ground, but the party’s expanded voter base under Stalin’s social justice and welfare record gives it a fighting chance.

BJP — Direct Contest (NDA seat allocation)

The BJP has been given Mylapore by the AIADMK under the 2026 NDA seat-sharing deal. This is the BJP’s most significant Chennai contest. In 2024, the BJP received 28.09% of the vote in the Mylapore Assembly segment during the Lok Sabha election — its highest in any Chennai constituency. The BJP is counting on its Hindu identity politics, Brahmin community connection, and the Kapaleeshwarar Temple corridor voter base to mount a credible challenge.

TVK — P. Venkataraman (TVK Treasurer)

TVK’s Treasurer P. Venkataraman contests from Mylapore. His candidacy in one of Chennai’s most culturally and commercially significant seats reflects TVK’s strategy of placing credible candidates — not just symbolic ones — in key South Chennai constituencies.

4.  Election History

Party Win Rate: AIADMK: 6 wins (60%) | DMK: 4 wins (40%) — AIADMK historically stronger here

5.  Key Local Issues for 2026

Kapaleeshwarar Temple Tank Flooding

The Kapaleeshwarar Temple tank’s periodic overflow and drainage into surrounding streets — particularly Luz Church Road and Dr Besant Road — is an annual civic problem. Temple tank management and drainage upgrade have been raised by residents and the Mylapore Heritage Alliance for several years.

Anna University Sexual Harassment Case (2026)

The arrest of Anna University professor Gnanavel Basu in Abhiramapuram on March 28, 2026, for alleged harassment of students over three years — with four additional students coming forward — has made campus safety and institutional accountability a live election issue in South Chennai. Mylapore’s proximity to Anna University’s main campus makes this directly relevant.

Parking in Residential Lanes off Dr Ranga Road

The narrow residential streets of Abhiramapuram, Mandaveli, and the R A Puram colony lanes experience severe parking pressure from commercial visitors to Mylapore’s temple, market, and restaurant zones. Residents repeatedly seek better enforcement of parking regulations.

BJP’s First Major Chennai Test

The BJP’s performance in Mylapore will be read as a barometer of Hindutva politics’ urban foothold in Tamil Nadu. A BJP win here would be historically unprecedented for Tamil Nadu and nationally significant. A strong second-place finish (above 35%) would equally signal a shifting political alignment.

6.  What to Watch in 2026

Mylapore 2026 is Tamil Nadu’s most consequential contest for the BJP’s national narrative. If the BJP wins, it marks a breakthrough into Tamil Nadu’s political establishment. If it loses, the question is whether its urban Brahmin-Hindu voter base has a future in Dravidian Tamil Nadu politics. Either outcome makes Mylapore the most nationally watched constituency after Perambur.

7.  Key Election Dates

How to Check Your Voter Status

• Verify name: voters.eci.gov.in
• Download voter slip: CEO Tamil Nadu — ceotn.gov.in
• Check candidate affidavits after April 6: affidavit.eci.gov.in
• MCC complaints: Call 1950 or use the cVIGIL app