R Manohar

R. Manohar, 59, is a postgraduate businessman and AIADMK politician from Chennai who serves as Managing Director of Sanmuga Transport Pvt. Ltd. and Sanmuga Trading Pvt. Ltd. His business background in transport and trading has positioned him as one of the party's candidates with substantial financial resources, declaring assets worth ₹42.88 crores with liabilities of ₹15.92 crores in his current affidavit. Manohar's political journey gained prominence in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when he contested from Chennai North constituency, securing an impressive 5,90,986 votes (61.82%), though he ultimately lost to DMK's Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy who received 4,61,518 votes (48.3%). His strong vote share demonstrated his ability to mobilize AIADMK's base in urban Chennai, making him a natural choice for the party in the adjacent Harbour assembly constituency. However, his current campaign has been shadowed by controversy. The Madras High Court recently disposed of a plea alleging that Manohar distributed cash tokens to voters in the Harbour constituency during the 2026 assembly election campaign. The Election Commission confirmed that an FIR was registered and investigations are ongoing. His affidavit also declares one pending criminal case under Section 189(2) for being a member of an unlawful assembly, though the details and context of this case are not publicly elaborated. Voters in Harbour should know that Manohar represents the AIADMK's business-political establishment with proven electoral appeal but faces questions about campaign practices. His candidacy reflects the party's strategy of fielding financially strong candidates with organizational capabilities, running on a manifesto promising welfare schemes including free refrigerators, LPG cylinders, and infrastructure development projects across Tamil Nadu.