Aranthangi in Pudukkottai district is a high-profile constituency, once the stronghold of veteran leader S. Thirunavukkarasu. In the 2021 Assembly elections, INC’s T. Ramachandran won the seat with 81,835 votes, defeating AIADMK’s M. Rajanayagam, who secured 51,742 votes. The margin of victory was 30,093 votes. In the 2016 Assembly elections, AIADMK’s E. Rathinasabhapathy won with 69,935 votes, defeating INC’s T. Ramachandran, who received 67,644 votes. The margin was 2,291 votes. In the 2011 Assembly elections, AIADMK’s M. Rajanayagam won the seat with 67,559 votes, defeating INC leader S. Thirunavukkarasu, who secured 50,903 votes. The margin was 16,656 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.