A. Ramu

A. Ramu, 62, is an AIADMK politician from Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, with business and agriculture as his primary professions. He holds a postgraduate degree and has declared assets worth Rs. 25.60 crore (Rs. 12.90 crore movable, Rs. 12.70 crore immovable). Ramu achieved a significant political breakthrough in 2016 when he won the Coonoor Assembly seat for AIADMK, breaking DMK's 25-year dominance in the constituency. He secured 61,650 votes (45.71%), defeating DMK's B.M. Mubarak by a margin of 3,710 votes. This victory was particularly notable as Coonoor had been considered a DMK stronghold since 1991. However, Ramu's tenure was short-lived. In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, he lost the seat back to DMK's K. Ramachandran, who won with 61,820 votes (45.89%) against AIADMK's 57,715 votes (42.84%) — a margin of 4,105 votes. The narrow margins in both elections indicate Coonoor remains a highly competitive constituency with closely divided voter sentiment between the two major Dravidian parties. Ramu's affidavit reveals one pending criminal case involving charges under Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 336(2) (punishment for forgery), 336(3) (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 340(2) (using a forged document known to be forged). No details about the case's context, circumstances, or current status are available in public records. His financial declaration shows liabilities of Rs. 10.15 lakh against substantial assets. Voters should note that while Ramu successfully captured a traditionally opposition seat in 2016, his inability to retain it in 2021 reflects the volatile political dynamics in the Nilgiris region. The pending criminal case involving forgery and cheating allegations warrants scrutiny, though specific details remain undisclosed.