Paul Manoj Pandian

Paul Hector Manoj Pandian, 54, is a lawyer-turned-politician and son of former Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Speaker P.H. Pandian. Born on August 8, 1971, he has had a turbulent political career marked by electoral success, party switches, and serious legal troubles. He joined AIADMK in 1993 and rose through the ranks, serving as Joint Secretary and Secretary of the party's Advocates' Wing before becoming an MLA and later Rajya Sabha MP. Pandian's electoral record includes winning the Cheranmahadevi constituency in 2001 and Alangulam in 2021, though he also faced defeats. His political journey took a dramatic turn when he was expelled from AIADMK in July 2022 along with O. Panneerselvam after opposing Edappadi K. Palaniswami's leadership. In November 2025, he resigned as MLA and joined DMK, citing ideological differences and criticizing AIADMK's alignment with BJP. However, Pandian's career is significantly marred by 8 criminal cases, including 5 serious IPC charges such as criminal breach of trust by public servant, illegal election payments, and armed rioting. His assets have also grown remarkably from Rs. 16.96 crore in 2021 to Rs. 28.26 crore in 2024. Voters should weigh his legislative experience and stated principles against his legal troubles and history of party-switching when making their decision.