VALPARAI (Reserved)

Valparai (SC) constituency experienced significant political disruption during 2021-2026. T.K. Amulkandasami of AIADMK won the 2021 election with 71,672 votes (49.34%), defeating CPI's M. Arumugham by 12,223 votes. However, he passed away on June 20, 2025, leaving the constituency without representation for a critical period. During this tenure, Valparai benefited from state-wide development initiatives including improvements under PM Gram Sadak Yojana (89 rural roads spanning 370 km across Tamil Nadu), 71 major drinking water supply projects worth ₹9,000 crore benefiting 1.2 crore people statewide, and the addition of 1,384 new classrooms in Corporation and Municipal schools. The Kalaignar Kanavu Illam housing scheme provided one lakh houses to underprivileged citizens at ₹3,500 crore across the state. The constituency faced persistent civic issues, particularly water supply problems requiring residents to boil water before consumption due to quality concerns. In April 2026, AIADMK's replacement candidate D. Lakshmana Singh faced serious controversy when Hindu outfits demanded an Election Commission probe, alleging he concealed his conversion to Christianity to contest from the SC-reserved seat. Broader state-level complaints about unfulfilled promises, including the DMK government's delayed implementation of ₹1,000 monthly financial assistance for women (implemented 28 months late), and rising costs due to hikes in electricity tariffs, property taxes, and essential goods affected constituents. The constituency, whose economy depends heavily on tea and coffee plantation estates, lacked specific high-impact local projects during this period. As Valparai approaches the April 23, 2026 election (results on May 4, 2026), voters face a competitive race between AIADMK's D. Lakshmana Singh and DMK's A. Sudhakar, with new entrants NTK and actor Vijay's TVK (founded 2024) also fielding candidates. Voters should consider the constituency's lack of dedicated representation after June 2025, the absence of constituency-specific major development projects, ongoing civic issues like water quality, and the controversy surrounding AIADMK's candidate. The 172,284 registered electors must weigh whether state-wide development initiatives adequately addressed local needs in this plantation-dependent region surrounded by dams and hydroelectric infrastructure.