Karaikudi is a key urban constituency in Sivaganga district, famous for its Chettinad heritage. It has traditionally seen strong contests between the Congress (INC) and the AIADMK. In the 2021 Assembly elections, INC’s S. Mangudi won the seat with 75,704 votes, defeating BJP’s H. Raja, who secured 54,115 votes. The margin of victory was 21,589 votes. In the 2016 Assembly elections, INC’s K. R. Ramasamy won with 58,661 votes, defeating AIADMK’s Karpagam Ilango, who received 40,378 votes. The margin was 18,283 votes. In the 2011 Assembly elections, AIADMK’s Chozhan C. T. Palanichamy won with 86,104 votes, defeating INC’s K. R. Ramasamy, who secured 67,204 votes. The margin was 18,900 votes. This year, elections in Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase on April 23. The 234-seat Assembly election will see the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, take on the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and a resurgent BJP-led alliance. The campaign is centred around issues such as welfare schemes, law and order, and the broader debate between Dravidian political identity and national integration narratives. While the DMK government is highlighting its record on industrial growth and social justice, the opposition has targeted it over allegations of corruption and concerns about power shortages.