S.Balu

S.Balu is a 64-year-old DMK candidate contesting from Kumarapalayam constituency in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. According to his affidavit, he is a 10th-grade pass with occupation listed as Agriculturalist & Business, declaring assets worth 61.7 crore rupees. However, there is significant confusion regarding his identity, as all available web search results discuss T.R. Baalu (Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu), an 83-year-old veteran DMK leader born in 1941, who is a B.Sc. graduate and former Union Minister who has served in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha since the 1980s. The affidavit reveals serious legal concerns: S.Balu faces 3 criminal cases with charges including theft in dwelling house (§380), cheating (§420), forgery of valuable securities (§467, §468), criminal conspiracy (§120B), fraudulent property transfers (§423), and rioting (§147). These are not minor charges—they involve allegations of dishonesty, fraud, and property-related crimes. Despite these serious allegations and substantial declared wealth of over 61 crores, there is virtually no media coverage, public discussion, or online presence for S.Balu as an individual candidate. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the DMK candidate from Kumarapalayam (identified in sources as T.R. Baalu, though this may be the identity confusion) lost to AIADMK's P. Thangamani by a significant margin of 31,646 votes, securing only 34.25% of the vote share. Kumarapalayam is part of western Tamil Nadu where DMK faces strong competition from AIADMK's traditional base. Voters should be aware of the lack of transparency and public information about S.Balu's background, business sources for his substantial wealth, and the serious nature of pending criminal charges involving forgery and cheating.