Rajarajan.U

Rajarajan.U, 41, is a first-time electoral candidate contesting from Mannargudi constituency on a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ticket in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Declaring agriculture as his profession, he has total assets of Rs. 21.14 lacs (entirely movable, with no immovable property) and liabilities of Rs. 9.90 lacs. His affidavit reveals 4 pending criminal cases, including one serious charge under Section 326 IPC for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons, along with charges related to wrongful restraint and being part of an unlawful assembly. Rajarajan.U is contesting on the ticket of TVK, a newly formed regional party founded by popular actor Vijay on February 2, 2024. The party positions itself as center-left, advocating for social justice, secularism, and Tamil nationalism while drawing inspiration from Periyar, Ambedkar, and Marxist principles. TVK claims over 15 million members and is contesting all 234 seats in the 2026 elections, challenging the traditional DMK-AIADMK dominance in Tamil Nadu. The party's manifesto promises ambitious welfare schemes including Rs. 2,500 monthly assistance for homemakers, Rs. 4,000 unemployment aid, and healthcare reforms. However, the party has been embroiled in serious controversy. In September 2025, a crowd crush during a TVK rally in Karur killed 41 people and injured around 100, leading to FIRs against senior party functionaries for culpable homicide and endangering lives. The party has also been involved in political mudslinging, with founder Vijay accusing the DMK of a Rs. 1,000 crore Tasmac liquor scam, while DMK ministers have counter-alleged black money acceptance by TVK leadership. Voters in Mannargudi should note that this candidate has no prior electoral experience, no public profile or documented development work, faces serious criminal charges including weapon-related violence, and represents a party that is both untested in governance and recently implicated in a major tragedy. His financial declaration showing zero land ownership despite claiming agriculture as profession also raises questions about transparency.