Sivasankar. S.S

S.S. Sivasankar, 56, is a three-term DMK legislator and current Transport Minister of Tamil Nadu, representing the Kunnam constituency. Born on March 24, 1969, in Devanur village (now in Ariyalur district), Sivasankar completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics from Annamalai University in 1991. His political journey began early—at age 9, he participated in DMK's Anti-Hindi conference in Tiruchirappalli in December 1978, setting the stage for a lifelong commitment to Dravidian politics. He rose through party ranks to become DMK Secretary of Andimadam Union in 1999 and Ariyalur district in 2001, eventually serving as DMK District Secretary for Ariyalur. Sivasankar's electoral record shows both resilience and vulnerability. He first won from Andimadam constituency in 2006 with 45.32% votes, defeating AIADMK's K. Panneerselvam by 5,828 votes. In 2011, he secured the newly created Kunnam seat with a comfortable margin of 22,957 votes (46.88% vote share). However, 2016 brought his only electoral defeat—contesting from Ariyalur, he lost to AIADMK's Thamarai S. Rajendran by a narrow 2,621 votes. He bounced back in 2021, reclaiming Kunnam with 1,03,922 votes and a 6,329-vote victory margin. Following DMK's return to power under M.K. Stalin, Sivasankar was appointed Minister for Welfare of Backward, Most Backward and Denotified Communities (May 2021-March 2022), then elevated to Transport Minister in March 2022, a position he continues to hold. Beyond politics, Sivasankar identifies as an agriculturist, electrical engineering consultant, and writer, having authored three books including "Makkaludan En Anubavangal" (2015) and "Chozhan Raja Prapthi" (2019). His affidavit declares assets worth ₹18.18 crore with liabilities of ₹2.57 crore, which appears consistent with his ministerial status and professional activities. However, voters should note his affidavit lists 3 criminal cases involving charges of unlawful assembly, rioting, and COVID-19 quarantine rule violations (IPC sections 143, 147, 269, 270, 271). While no major corruption scandals or controversies have been reported in public sources, these legal cases—particularly IPC 270 relating to malignant acts spreading disease—warrant scrutiny regarding circumstances and current status. Married to Gayathridevi with two children, Sivasankar represents a veteran DMK loyalist who has weathered electoral ups and downs while maintaining party and government responsibilities.