Nazeer Raja. G

Nazeer Raja G, 49, is contesting from DINDIGUL constituency on a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ticket in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. A 10th pass educated businessman, Raja has declared assets of approximately Rs. 1.99 crore with liabilities of Rs. 78.5 lakhs. He has three pending criminal cases involving charges of unlawful assembly, obstruction in public way, and wrongful restraint, though none are classified as serious IPC offenses. Despite being an official candidate, Nazeer Raja has virtually no public profile, media presence, or documented political history. Raja is part of TVK, a newly formed political party founded on February 2, 2024, by Tamil cinema superstar Vijay. The party emerged as a self-described center-left alternative to the traditional Dravidian parties that have dominated Tamil Nadu politics for decades. TVK announced its full candidate list for the 2026 Assembly elections on March 29, 2026, fielding candidates across Tamil Nadu including prominent party leaders like N. Anand (General Secretary) from T. Nagar and Vijay himself from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies. The party has faced significant challenges in its early days. Most notably, a crowd crush incident at a Vijay-led rally in Karur on September 27, 2025, resulted in 41 deaths and around 100 injuries, leading to investigations and FIRs against party leadership for alleged negligence and violation of police regulations. Additionally, the Election Commission informed the Madras High Court that TVK is not yet a recognized political party, though this has not prevented it from fielding candidates. Party leader Vijay disclosed two pending FIRs in his 2026 election affidavit related to public disturbance during campaigning and an incident involving bouncers at a party conference. For DINDIGUL voters, Nazeer Raja represents an untested political entity with no track record in governance or public service. The constituency has historically been represented by AIADMK and CPI(M) members, and will see competition from AIADMK's C. Sreenivasan and NTK's K. Mutharasi in 2026. Without any documented achievements, public statements, or community work, voters have limited information to assess Raja's suitability beyond his party affiliation. His candidacy reflects TVK's strategy of fielding fresh faces, but also raises questions about candidate selection processes in a party still establishing its organizational structure.