Live : Theni Assembly Election 2021

In the 2014 general elections, R Parthipan of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) defeated Pon Muthuramalingam of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) with a margin of 3,14,532 votes. The incumbent, R Parthipan, was polled 5,71,254 votes while the DMK candidate, the nearest rival, bagged 2,56,722 votes.

In 2009 general elections, JM Aaron Rashid of the Congress won from the Theni Lok Sabha seat by defeating M Thanga Tamilselvan of AIADMK. Mr. Rashid bagged 3,40,575 votes in the first general elections held in this Lok Sabha segment after the formation of the constituency in 2008, while his opponent Tamil Selvan was polled 3,34,273 votes.

An endorsement or rejection of the ruling party nominee P Raveendranath Kumar could assume significance as he is contesting from his father and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's home turf of Theni. Congress has fielded former union Minister E V K S Elangovan. T T V Dhinakaran's AMMK has nominated Thanga Tamil Selvan, a key aide of Mr Dhinakaran, and also one of the disqualified AIADMK MLAs who revolted against Palaniswami in 2017.

Thanga Tamil Selvan had earlier represented Andipatti, an Assembly segment falling under Theni.

The constituency is dotted with six Assembly segments, including two Reserved ones (Sholavandan and Usilampatti segments are located at Madurai district while Andipatti, Periyakulam, Bodinayakkanur and Cumbum are from Theni district). While AIADMK bagged all of them under Jayalalithaa in 2016, by-polls to Andipatti and Periyakulam are being held simultaneously on April 18.

There are about 10.75 lakh voters in the Theni Lok Sabha segment.