A.Kallanai

A. Kallanai, 41, is a graduate working as a consultant who is making his electoral debut as the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate from Madurai North constituency in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. With declared assets of Rs. 2.13 crore and liabilities of Rs. 1.19 crore, Kallanai represents the newly-formed party led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, which was founded in February 2024. He faces 2 criminal cases involving charges related to unlawful assembly (IPC sections 189(3), 151), wrongful restraint (126(2)), public nuisance (292), disease spread negligence (269), and abetment (109). Kallanai's candidacy comes at a crucial time for TVK, which demonstrated significant organizational strength by hosting its second state conference in Madurai on August 21, 2025, attracting over 10 lakh participants. At this conference, party leader Vijay positioned TVK as a secular, social justice party, criticizing both the BJP and DMK while emphasizing opposition to NEET exams and demanding the retrieval of Katchatheevu island. Vijay announced that TVK would not ally with the BJP in the 2026 elections, positioning himself as a potential chief ministerial candidate. However, the party faces serious challenges following the tragic Karur crowd crush on September 27, 2025, which killed 41 people and injured around 100 during a TVK rally. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin formed a one-member commission to investigate, and public fury rose when Vijay did not visit the victims. Additionally, charges were filed against Vijay and associates for allegedly manhandling an individual at a party event in Madurai on August 27, 2025, adding to the party's legal troubles as it approaches its first electoral test. Voters in Madurai North should know that Kallanai is entering a historically competitive constituency where the DMK won in 2021 with 47.11% votes, defeating the BJP which secured 32.32%. As a first-time candidate from a party less than two years old, he represents both the enthusiasm of a new political movement and the uncertainties of untested leadership facing serious legal and organizational challenges.