Saba.Rajendran

Saba Rajendran, 64, is a three-term DMK legislator from Neyveli constituency in Tamil Nadu, born on June 18, 1961, in Sorathur village, Cuddalore district. Despite holding a B.Sc. in Mathematics and B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, he declares his profession as 'Agriculture' and has been a career politician since his first electoral victory in 2006. Coming from a family of leaders — his father was a panchayat leader and mother involved in farming — Rajendran was active in farmers' struggles before entering electoral politics, and served as Union Secretary of DMK's Panruti wing, director of Lions Club Neyveli, and President of Football Association, Cuddalore. His electoral journey has seen both triumphs and setbacks. After winning Nellikuppam in 2006, he lost the same seat in 2011 to AIADMK's M.P.S. Sivasubramaniyan. He bounced back in 2016, capturing the Neyveli seat by a comfortable margin of 17,791 votes (11.17%) against AIADMK's R. Rajsekar. However, his 2021 re-election was far closer — winning by just 977 votes (0.60%) against PMK's K. Jagan, indicating either declining popularity or increasing competition. He won again in 2026 for a third consecutive term from Neyveli, though detailed margins are not yet published. On the development front, Rajendran has implemented notable infrastructure projects. During his 2006-2011 Nellikuppam tenure, he rolled out the Malattaar scheme benefiting over 50 villages with improved groundwater access, constructed four bridges, and revamped 25 km of roads. In Neyveli since 2016, he inaugurated Kasambu lake, desilted 30 surrounding lakes, installed solar water pumps in Sorathur and Visoor panchayats, upgraded schools to senior-secondary level, and improved irrigation and drinking water facilities. No criminal cases are declared in his affidavit, and web searches found no undisclosed legal issues. Voters should note the significant financial growth in his declared assets — from Rs. 6.21 crore in 2021 to Rs. 14.21 crore in 2024 (129% increase in 3 years), while liabilities surged from Rs. 72.65 lakhs to Rs. 4.40 crore (506% increase). This rapid wealth accumulation, combined with his 'Agriculture' profession declaration despite an engineering background and full-time political career, raises questions about income sources. His razor-thin 2021 victory margin also suggests that despite development work, public sentiment may be more divided than in his 2016 landslide win.