Mahendran K

Mankulam K. Mahendran, 68, is the AIADMK candidate for Madurai East in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. A graduate professional working as an advocate and farmer, Mahendran has declared assets worth ₹4.26 crore with liabilities of ₹18.39 lakh, and has no criminal cases registered against him. He faces a challenging electoral contest in a constituency that has favored DMK in recent elections, with the sitting minister P. Moorthy having won in both 2021 (51.59% vote share) and 2016. Mahendran's campaign has focused heavily on allegations of corruption against the DMK government, particularly the Madurai Corporation property tax scam involving alleged undervaluation of commercial properties resulting in an estimated ₹200-250 crore revenue loss. He has publicly vowed to pursue legal action on this matter if elected. The scam led to the resignation of Madurai mayor Indrani Ponvasanth and several DMK zonal chairpersons, giving AIADMK a potent campaign weapon. However, Mahendran has also accused the sitting DMK minister of intimidating AIADMK workers and using money power to influence the election, claiming his party was prevented from campaigning in certain areas. The Madurai East constituency has witnessed intense political competition between AIADMK and DMK over the decades. AIADMK last won here in 2011 when K. Tamilarasan defeated P. Moorthy with 99,447 votes. Since then, DMK has maintained control, with P. Moorthy winning convincingly in 2016 and 2021. Mahendran's candidacy represents AIADMK's attempt to reclaim a seat they've lost twice consecutively, banking on anti-incumbency sentiment and the corruption allegations surrounding the DMK administration. Voters should know that while Mahendran presents himself as a clean candidate with no criminal record and focuses on accountability issues, he enters the race as the underdog in a constituency where DMK has established dominance over the past decade. His success will depend on whether corruption allegations against DMK resonate more than the party's governance record.