Mathiyalagan V.P

Mathiyalagan V.P., 50, is a textile professional and district secretary of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for Karur West. With an 8th standard education, he has assets worth approximately ₹1.31 crore including textile business interests. His political career has been overshadowed by one of Tamil Nadu's worst crowd management disasters in recent memory. On September 27, 2025, a TVK rally organized under Mathiyalagan's district leadership in Velusamypuram, Karur, ended in catastrophe when a stampede killed 41 people—including 18 women and 10 children—and injured over 100 others. According to the FIR filed by Karur police, organizational failures included deliberately delaying party founder Vijay's arrival (causing prolonged waiting in extreme heat), failing to regulate cadres who climbed onto unsafe tin sheds and trees that subsequently collapsed, and ignoring police warnings about overcrowding and safety protocols. Mathiyalagan was arrested on September 29, 2025 near the Karur-Dindigul border along with TVK state general secretary Bussy Anand and deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar. The charges against him—culpable homicide not amounting to murder (Section 105), attempt to commit culpable homicide (Section 110), causing grievous hurt (Section 125b), and disobedience to lawful orders (Section 223) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita—carry serious legal consequences. TVK has approached the Madras High Court seeking a CBI or SIT probe, alleging conspiracy and stone-pelting, though specific details of Mathiyalagan's defense remain undocumented in public sources. Voters should know that while Mathiyalagan represents a relatively new party advocating for secular social justice and education reform, his candidacy is inseparable from the Karur tragedy. There is minimal public documentation of positive grassroots work, community service, or development initiatives attributed to him. His organizational role in an event that resulted in one of the state's deadliest crowd disasters raises fundamental questions about leadership capability, safety consciousness, and accountability—critical considerations for an elected representative.