Agri Krishnamurthy. S S

Agri S. S. Krishnamurthy, 66, is a veteran AIADMK politician born on 23 March 1959 in Elathur village, Tiruvannamalai district. With a B.Sc. in Agriculture, he began his political career as Chairman of Kalasapakkam Panchayat Union before ascending to state-level politics. He won the Kalasapakkam constituency in both 2006 and 2011 assembly elections, establishing himself as a key AIADMK leader in the region. His political career reached its peak during Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's tenure when he held multiple ministerial portfolios. He initially served as Food Minister in the 2011 Jayalalithaa government, before his portfolio was shifted to Commercial Taxes and then Education. In May 2014, he was elevated to Minister for Agriculture, replacing S. Damodaran in a cabinet reshuffle, a position he held until March 2015. This ministerial experience across diverse sectors demonstrated his versatility within the party. However, Krishnamurthy's career has been shadowed by serious legal controversies. He faced a CB-CID investigation for abetment to suicide and corruption charges connected to the death of Assistant Executive Engineer Muthukumarasamy, with the case pending in a Tirunelveli court. While the Madras High Court eventually quashed this case, it represented a significant challenge to his political standing. His current affidavit declares charges under Sections 153 and 504 related to provocation and insult. Krishnamurthy suffered an electoral defeat in the 2021 assembly elections when he contested from Polur constituency, losing to DMK's K. V. Sekaran. Now returning to contest from his traditional stronghold of Kalasapakkam in 2026, voters face a candidate with extensive ministerial experience but also a history of serious criminal allegations. With assets worth over Rs. 13 crore and liabilities of Rs. 2.76 crore, his financial profile reflects his long political career and agricultural background.