Sethupathy. S

S. Sethupathy, 53, is the AIADMK candidate for the Aruppukottai assembly constituency in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. A farmer by profession with basic literacy, he brings assets worth approximately ₹1.76 crore (₹93 lakh movable and ₹83 lakh immovable) and liabilities of ₹22.95 lakh. He belongs to the historically influential Sethupathi Maravar community, which has significant presence in the Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts of Tamil Nadu. Sethupathy faces a challenging electoral battle against the incumbent DMK MLA K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, who won the seat in 2021 with a 23% margin against the previous AIADMK candidate Vaigaichelvan. The Aruppukottai constituency has alternated between DMK and AIADMK over the decades, with AIADMK holding it during MGR's era in 1977 but losing it to DMK in the recent 2016 and 2021 elections. As a first-time AIADMK candidate for this seat, Sethupathy has limited documented political history or previous electoral experience. In April 2026, Sethupathy made headlines when he and his supporters staged a protest at the Aruppukottai Taluk office, accusing Assistant Returning Officer S. Senthilvel of showing bias toward the DMK candidate. He alleged that the AIADMK was denied the list of postal votes for persons with disabilities and senior citizens aged above 85, while the DMK received it earlier. This controversy highlighted concerns about electoral fairness in the constituency. Voters should know that while Sethupathy has no criminal cases declared in his affidavit and no corruption allegations have surfaced, he also lacks a documented track record of legislative work, development initiatives, or public service. His candidacy appears to rely heavily on AIADMK's party-wide promises including welfare schemes like the Kula Vilakku allowance and farmers' support measures, rather than individual accomplishments. With limited social media presence and minimal grassroots visibility documented in available sources, voters will need to assess him primarily on party credentials and community affiliations rather than personal political achievements.