R.D. Shekar

RD Shekar, 59, is a DMK politician representing Perambur constituency in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He entered the Assembly through a by-election in 2019, winning with 106,394 votes (56.32%) against AIADMK's RS Raajesh after the previous legislator was disqualified. He successfully defended his seat in the 2021 assembly election with 105,267 votes (52.93%), defeating AIADMK's NR Dhanapalan by a margin of 54,976 votes. A graduate professional who has been with the DMK since 1988, Shekar has held various party positions over his three-decade-long political career. Shekar's affidavit declares assets worth Rs. 6.5 crore with liabilities of Rs. 2.95 crore, and his primary income source is listed as salary from his MLA position. He has 10 criminal cases registered against him, all related to political activities such as being a member of unlawful assembly, disobedience to public servant orders, and violations during public gatherings. Notably, none of these are classified as serious IPC charges. Web searches found no additional criminal cases or corruption allegations beyond what is declared in his affidavit. Within the DMK party structure, Shekar has served as Deputy Secretary of the Youth Wing since 2015 and was District In-Charge for North Chennai from 2011 to 2014, indicating his strong grassroots presence in the region. However, his tenure as MLA has faced criticism from some Perambur voters who cite concerns about women's safety, drug menace, rising crime rates, and livelihood issues in the constituency. The 2026 elections present a significant challenge with actor Vijay entering the fray from the TVK party, alongside candidates from PMK and NTK. Voters should know that while Shekar represents a stable DMK presence with strong organizational backing and benefits from the ruling party's welfare schemes, there is documented voter discontent on local governance issues. His ability to retain the seat will test whether party loyalty and state-level welfare programs can overcome constituency-specific grievances and the celebrity appeal of his opponents.