Revathi K.

Revathi Kalaimani, 37, is the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate contesting from the Jayankondam assembly constituency in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. A postgraduate and homemaker, she represents a party that has been steadily gaining ground in Tamil Nadu politics since its founding by Senthalai Seeman in 2010 as a revival of S.P. Adithanar's We Tamils party. With declared assets of Rs. 3.09 lakhs (entirely movable assets with no immovable property) and no criminal cases, she enters the electoral fray with a clean legal record. Revathi's party, NTK, has demonstrated remarkable growth trajectory in recent elections. Starting with just 1.1% vote share in the 2016 Assembly elections when it contested all 234 constituencies, the party increased its support to 3.89% in the 2019 Parliamentary elections, and dramatically to 6.72% in the 2021 Assembly elections, emerging as Tamil Nadu's third largest party. The party achieved official state party recognition from the Election Commission of India in May 2025 after securing over 8% vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. For the 2026 elections, NTK has decided to contest all 234 constituencies independently without forming alliances, announcing its candidate list in February 2026. However, the party has faced controversies, particularly regarding its protest tactics. In early 2025, NTK led protests against the film 'Kingdom' starring Vijay Deverakonda, alleging it misrepresented the Tamil Eelam issue, which led to threats and disruptions at theaters across Tamil Nadu. The Madras High Court intervened, directing police to protect theaters and dismissing NTK's claims, emphasizing that while peaceful protests were permissible, violent disruptions were unlawful. Despite growing vote shares, opinion polls predict the party may struggle to convert votes into seats in 2026, with forecasts suggesting NTK could secure 4.9-8.2% vote share but potentially zero seats. Voters in Jayankondam should know that Revathi represents a party with a clear Tamil nationalist ideology focusing on decentralized governance, agricultural policies, and Tamil identity. The NTK's 2026 manifesto proposes multiple functional capitals across Tamil Nadu, farmer-centric policies, and strong anti-corruption measures. While the party appeals particularly to youth and those seeking alternatives to traditional Dravidian politics, its ability to translate growing popular support into legislative representation remains uncertain. The constituency will see a multi-cornered contest with candidates from DMK, PMK, PMK(R), TVK, and NOTA also in the fray.