Chidambaram (Incumbent: Thirumaavalavan Thol - VCK)
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi's (VCK) Thirumaavalavan Thol is currently leading by 62,256 votes whereas Chandrahasan M of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is trailing. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP's) P Karthiyayini is trailing by 2,01,956 votes.
Thirumavalavan, hailing from Sendurai taluk in Ariyalur district, is vying for re-election from the reserved constituency of Chidambaram. He is facing a formidable challenge from M Chandrahasan also from Sendurai taluk and representing the AIADMK, as well as P Karthiyayini, from Vellore district, contesting on a BJP ticket.
This marks Thirumavalavan's unprecedented sixth bid for office. Having tasted both victory and defeat in previous contests – winning in 2009 and 2019 but losing in 1999, 2004, and 2014 – he now sees a potential advantage in a fragmented opposition.
Situated within the agrarian landscape of the Cauvery delta, Chidambaram parliamentary constituency encompasses assembly segments from Cuddalore (Chidambaram, Kattumannarkoil, and Bhuvanagiri), Ariyalur (Ariyalur and Jayankondam), and Perambalur (Kunnam). Despite its natural resources, the area remains underdeveloped. Major crops include paddy, sugarcane, cashew, cotton, and chilli.
2024 contest:The total number of registered voters in this constituency in 2024 polls was 1519847, and the seat saw a voting turnout of 76.37% (1160762 total count of votes), according to the Election Commission’s data. The seat went to polls in phase 1 on April 19, 2024.
In the 2019 LS Polls,Thirumaavalavan Thol won from Chidambaram, getting 500,229 votes, comprising 43.38% of the total number of votes polled. He defeated Chandrasekar P of AIADMK by a thin margin of just 3219 votes. In 2014, Chandrakasi, M of AIADMK had won from this seat, polling 429,536 votes (39.46%) and defeating Thirumaavalavan, Thol by a margin of 128495 votes.
