VELLORE

Vellore constituency, represented by MLA Karthikeyan P. of the DMK since his victory in the 2021 Assembly elections with 84,299 votes (47.24% vote share, winning by a margin of 9,181 votes), has experienced moderate developmental progress alongside significant political turbulence over the past five years. The constituency has been part of the Smart Cities Mission launched in 2018, with an estimated budget of ₹3,500 crore for infrastructure improvements including road development, underground sewage systems, water supply pipelines, and integrated bus termini. However, residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of implementation of these projects. The state government has also undertaken rural development schemes including the Jal Jeevan Mission for drinking water supply, and housing schemes like the Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam scheme, though specific implementation details in Vellore remain limited in available records. The constituency witnessed dramatic political events, particularly the rescinding of polling for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on April 16, 2024, after the Election Commission reported recovery of unaccounted cash allegedly from a DMK candidate's office. This incident brought significant central government scrutiny to the region. Additionally, the broader Tamil Nadu political landscape saw multiple party defections between 2022-2026, with several AIADMK members including O. Panneerselvam joining the DMK, and the deaths of two MLAs from other constituencies (T. K. Amulkandasami and K. Ponnusamy) in 2025. The PMK also split into two factions in late 2025, adding complexity to the political scenario. Notably, the available data reveals limited specific information about MLA Karthikeyan P.'s individual initiatives, public grievances, or controversies directly tied to his tenure from 2021-2026. No corruption allegations, land disputes, civic protests, or legal cases involving the MLA were documented in the search results. Vellore's economy continues to be diversified with leather processing, shoe manufacturing, and automobile assembly industries, and benefits from prestigious institutions like Christian Medical College and Vellore Institute of Technology. As the 2026 Assembly elections approach (scheduled for April-May), voters should consider the slow progress of promised Smart City infrastructure projects, the lack of transparency regarding specific constituency-level achievements, and the emerging competition from parties like TVK (led by actor Vijay) and NTK, which may alter the traditional DMK-AIADMK binary in this historically significant constituency.