V. Senthilkumar

V. Senthilkumar, 47, is a cable TV industry professional from Coimbatore South constituency with an 8th pass education and declared assets of Rs. 94.43 lakhs. He filed his nomination for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on April 2, 2026, representing the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), a new political party led by actor-turned-politician Vijay. However, his affidavit declares him as an 'Independent' candidate, creating a significant discrepancy about his actual party affiliation. During his nomination filing at the Central Zonal Office in Coimbatore, Senthilkumar garlanded only C.N. Annadurai's statue, notably skipping M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa's statues, citing time constraints. His wife, Anushka, was nominated as a backup candidate. His campaign has focused on local issues including improving infrastructure, repairing damaged roads, better drainage systems, supporting jewelry workers, and reducing electricity tariffs. He invoked the legacy of MGR, claiming a similar political wave was building for his party leader Vijay. Senthilkumar is a new entrant to politics with no previous electoral history or prior party affiliations with major parties like DMK, AIADMK, or BJP. The Coimbatore South seat was previously won by BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan in 2021 with 53,209 votes (34.38%). He faces competition from established parties including DMK's V. Senthil Balaji, AIADMK's Amman K. Arjunan, and NTK's V. Perarivalan in the April 23, 2026 election. Voters should note the contradiction between his affidavit declaration as an 'Independent' candidate and his actual filing as a TVK party candidate. With minimal public visibility, no social media presence, and no track record in governance or community service, voters have limited information to assess his capability beyond campaign promises. The election results are expected on May 4, 2026.