Alagammal A

A. Alagammal, 36, is a graduate and agricultural worker contesting from Natham constituency in Dindigul district as the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. She represents a party that has steadily increased its electoral presence, growing from 1.06% vote share in 2016 to 8.19% in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, making it eligible for state party recognition. Natham constituency has 258,603 registered voters, and in 2021, the NTK candidate secured 14,762 votes (6.60%). Her candidacy reflects NTK's commitment to fielding equal numbers of men and women candidates, a pioneering stance in Tamil Nadu politics where the party fielded 20 women out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. As an agricultural worker, Alagammal's campaign focuses on local issues including infrastructure improvement, support for small farmers, and Tamil language education, aligning with the party's 2026 manifesto promises of declaring farming a national occupation and providing free education from primary to PhD levels. Her affidavit declares modest assets of Rs. 5.20 lakhs with no immovable property and liabilities of Rs. 55,000. However, Alagammal faces legal challenges with three criminal cases involving charges under sections 132 (assault on public servant), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 189(2) (unlawful assembly), and 126(2) (wrongful restraint). These cases appear connected to NTK's confrontational protest tactics, which have included disrupting film screenings and opposing government projects. The party has faced multiple controversies, including its August 2025 protests against the Telugu film 'Kingdom' where cadres threatened theater owners and vandalized posters, prompting Madras High Court intervention. Additionally, party leader Seeman's controversial 2023 remarks about the Arundhathiyar community sparked backlash, and a party functionary was arrested in a 2024 sexual assault case involving a fake NCC camp. Voters in Natham should weigh NTK's anti-corruption stance, progressive policies on women's representation, environmental activism (including successful opposition to the Chennai-Salem expressway), and focus on Tamil nationalism against the party's controversial tactics, legal troubles, lack of governance experience, and its polarizing rhetoric. While the party offers an alternative to traditional Dravidian politics, its confrontational approach and the criminal cases against its candidates like Alagammal raise questions about their methods of political engagement.