CHENNAI: Beyond the Historic museum, one of the oldest railway stations and British-era structures, lies the Assembly constituency defined more by sharp contrasts. From relatively quieter residential pockets to some of the city's most congested neighbourhoods, livelihoods here sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, often facing the same problems but unequally.
Neighbourhoods such as Chetpet, Egmore, Vepery and parts of Kilpauk represent its better-off pockets, while Choolai, Park Town, Purasaiwakkam and Kannappar Nagar reflect its dense, working-class core. Across these areas, complaints often begin with the same issues: encroachments and traffic, but vary in intensity.
Encroachments, footpath issues dominate concerns
In the relatively better-off pockets, residents point to poor enforcement.
"There isn't one usable footpath in Egmore. Eateries clog up the space, and there has been no solution yet," said C Raguram, a resident of Pantheon Road. Footpaths along Pantheon Road, Red Cross Road, and other stretches remain occupied, forcing pedestrians onto already narrow roads.
At the automobile spare parts hub in Pudupet, the busy food streets of Pulianthope, and Moore market, similar situations play out, where traffic crawls through heavy encroachments on both sides.
Traffic congestion, poor roads raise safety concerns
Traffic congestion, especially around schools, is another recurring concern. "Picking up and dropping off children has become stressful. There is no regulation," said Sharadha, a resident of Vepery. Pointing to the lack of proper implementation of school safety zones, she added, "I am scared to send my child by bicycle."
In dense areas, road conditions themselves remain a concern, especially in interior pockets. In Choolai, residents say inner streets have largely remained poorly maintained. "Over the past five years, most of the time we lived with damaged roads. There have been patchwork repairs offering little relief," said Kesavan, a resident living on Manickam Street. On the main stretches, too, congestion persists. Vepery High Road, Hunters Road and Strahans (Demellows) Road struggle to handle traffic through the day, with frequent bottlenecks at junctions.
Garbage issues persist, water supply brings relief
Garbage clearance is also one issue that has been highlighted across the constituency. "We don't know whether waste has increased or there hasn't been regular clearance," said Sheela, a Purasaiwalkam resident. Similar issues have also been echoed by residents of Choolai. Failure to clean the Cooum has also irked the people. "Garbage is dumped, even burnt, along the banks. They have spent crores, they say, but there has been no difference," lamented Suhail, who runs a shop in Periamet.
End to water woes is the only relief all could confidently talk of. "Water supplies were erratic earlier; there were days we were dependent on tankers, which are not anymore, " said Kesavan, a Choolai resident. The voters have also appreciated the redevelopment of schools and the maintenance of parks.
Meanwhile, a major share of the homeless population falls under the Egmore constituency, including Royapuram, according to a corporation survey.
The reserved constituency, which has been a stronghold for the DMK for decades.
Total voters: 1,34,879
Men: 65,677
Women: 69,149
Trans persons: 53
Sitting MLA: I Paranthamen
Party: DMK