Vennila.T

Vennila Thayumanavan, 42, is a post-graduate and Director of Agazhi Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a research-focused non-profit organization. She is contesting the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections from Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency on a Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) ticket. With declared assets of Rs. 1.28 crore (entirely movable assets) and liabilities of Rs. 16.9 lakh, she presents a clean legal record with zero criminal cases. This appears to be her first electoral contest, with no previous election history found in available records. Vennila represents NTK, a Tamil nationalist party founded in 2010 by actor-politician Seeman, which has been steadily growing its influence in Tamil Nadu politics. The party secured 6.72% of the state vote share in 2021, emerging as the third-largest party and particularly attracting younger voters disillusioned with the traditional DMK-AIADMK binary. NTK is known for its uncompromising stance on Tamil identity, advocacy for Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, and refusal to align with major political alliances. The party's 2026 manifesto emphasizes decentralized governance, anti-drug measures, and creating multiple functional capitals to reduce Chennai's burden. Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar (R.K. Nagar) is an urban, working-class constituency in Chennai North that has seen significant political drama. In 2021, DMK won with 51.2% votes, AIADMK secured 28.49%, and NTK finished third with 10.93%. The constituency gained national attention in 2017 when a by-election was canceled due to large-scale bribery allegations involving then-Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar, with a subsequent by-election won by independent candidate T.T.V. Dhinakaran. While Vennila herself has no documented controversies, her party has faced criticism for protests against the film 'Kingdom', with the Madras High Court directing police protection for theaters and rejecting demands to ban the censor-approved film. Voters should know that while Vennila brings a clean personal record and represents a party with growing momentum, she is a first-time candidate with limited public profile. Her electoral prospects will largely depend on NTK's brand appeal and Seeman's campaigning prowess rather than personal achievements. With NTK securing nearly 11% votes locally in 2021, the party has established a base but remains distant from victory in this DMK-dominated constituency.