Periyakulam (SC), located in Theni district, is a reserved constituency and was once represented by former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. In the 2021 Assembly elections, DMK’s K. S. Saravana Kumar won with 92,251 votes, defeating AIADMK’s M. Murugan by a margin of 21,321 votes. In the 2016 Assembly elections, AIADMK’s Dr. K. Kathirkamu won with 90,599 votes, defeating DMK’s V. Anbazhagan by 14,350 votes. In the 2011 Assembly elections, CPI(M)’s A. Laser, contesting as part of the AIADMK alliance, won with 77,688 votes, defeating DMK’s V. Anbazhagan. Historically, since the 1977 elections, the AIADMK has dominated the constituency with seven victories, while the DMK has won three times. The 234-seat Assembly election in Tamil Nadu 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.