Sinthanai Selvan

M. Sinthanai Selvan, born December 12, 1966, in South Arcot District (now Tamil Nadu), is a 61-year-old politician representing the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK). After completing his Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 1984, he worked as an Executive Engineer at Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) from February 1989 to April 2006, giving him nearly 17 years of technical and administrative experience before entering full-time politics. In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, he won from Kattumannarkoil constituency with 86,056 votes (49.20%), defeating AIADMK's N. Murugumaran by a margin of 10,565 votes. This victory was particularly significant as it marked VCK's gain from AIADMK in a constituency where the party's leader Thol. Thirumavalavan had narrowly lost in 2016 by just 87 votes. Sinthanai Selvan's VCK is known for its strong advocacy for Dalit rights, caste eradication, and Tamil nationalism, operating as part of the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. As an MLA, he serves in a government that has implemented numerous welfare schemes targeting SC/ST communities, including housing through TAHDCO, education through the Naan Mudhalvan skill development program, and the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme for school children. The party has been influential in pushing for caste-based reservations and social inclusion policies at both state and national levels. However, VCK has also been involved in controversies, including the April 2019 violence in Ponparappi, Ariyalur, where clashes erupted after Hindu Munnani damaged VCK's election symbols, resulting in attacks on Dalit houses. For the 2026 elections, Sinthanai Selvan has shifted constituencies and is now contesting from Cheyyur (SC), a reserved seat. His assets of Rs. 2.02 crores (including Rs. 1.41 crores in immovable property and Rs. 61 lacs in movable assets) appear reasonable for a former engineer and sitting MLA with over 35 years of professional and political career. He has declared no criminal cases. Married to Thangam with two sons, Selvan represents VCK's engineering of social justice politics with professional administrative experience. Voters in Cheyyur should know that while Sinthanai Selvan has no personal controversies on record, he represents a party that takes uncompromising positions on caste and secularism, which has led to both grassroots support among marginalized communities and confrontations with right-wing groups. His track record as Kattumannarkoil MLA and specific development work in that constituency would be critical to assess, though detailed constituency-level achievements are not publicly documented in available sources.