Salem (South) Assembly constituency is located in Salem district of Tamil Nadu and forms part of the Salem Lok Sabha constituency. The seat represents a key urban segment of Salem city and has traditionally witnessed contests between the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), reflecting the broader two-party competition that dominates politics in the region.
In the 2016 Assembly elections, the constituency had 2,63,233 electors, with 1,97,889 valid votes polled. AIADMK candidate Sakthivel A B won the seat with 1,01,696 votes, defeating DMK candidate Gunasekaran M, who secured 71,243 votes. The margin of victory stood at 30,453 votes, giving the AIADMK a comfortable win in the constituency.
Earlier, in the 2011 Assembly elections, Salem (South) had 2,19,949 electors, with 1,73,464 valid votes recorded. AIADMK candidate Selvaraju M K secured a decisive victory with 1,12,691 votes, defeating DMK candidate Sivalingam S R, who polled 52,476 votes. The winning margin of 60,215 votes reflected strong support for the AIADMK during that election cycle.
The results across these two elections indicate a period of AIADMK dominance in the constituency, although Salem (South) remains politically significant due to its urban electorate and its role in shaping the broader political dynamics of the Salem region.