K.M. Shariff

K.M. Shariff, 61, is a businessman and agriculturist from Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, contesting on a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ticket in the 2026 assembly elections. With a 10th-grade education, he has been involved in actor Vijay's political journey since its inception, having founded the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam fan club in Pudukkottai in 2009, which eventually transformed into the TVK party. His early grassroots involvement positions him as one of the long-standing loyalists in Vijay's political movement. Shariff's electoral record shows a loss in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from the Pudukkottai constituency to DMK's V. Muthuraja. He is making a second attempt in 2026, this time under the TVK banner, competing against established candidates from DMK, BJP, and NTK. His declared assets stand at Rs. 97.46 lakhs, with Rs. 42.46 lakhs in movable assets and Rs. 55 lakhs in immovable assets, along with liabilities of Rs. 9.29 lakhs. However, Shariff's candidacy carries significant legal baggage. He has declared 10 criminal cases against him, including 3 serious IPC charges. The most concerning are charges under Section 153A (promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, or language) and Section 505 (statements creating or promoting enmity or hatred), which relate to communal harmony and public order. Additional charges include unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, disobedience to public servant orders, and creating public nuisances. Voters should note that while Shariff represents the new TVK wave riding on Vijay's popularity, he has limited individual visibility or documented achievements in public life. His criminal cases raise questions about his conduct in public spaces and communal matters. With no significant media coverage or public sentiment data available, his candidacy largely depends on the TVK brand rather than personal political capital.