Karthikeyan V

Vasantham Karthikeyan, 41, is a two-term MLA from Rishivandiyam constituency in Tamil Nadu who is now contesting the 2026 elections as an Independent candidate. Born in 1978 in Saathanur Village to parents Kannan and Gandimathi, Karthikeyan has an 8th standard education and declares his profession as 'Business'. His political career has been marked by consecutive electoral victories representing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 2016 and 2021, with increasing vote margins that demonstrated growing popularity in his constituency. In the 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, Karthikeyan won his first term with 92,607 votes (47.08%), defeating AIADMK's K. Dhandapani by 20,503 votes. He strengthened his position in 2021, securing 113,912 votes (53.56%) and defeating AIADMK's S. A. Santhosh by a much larger margin of 41,728 votes. This improvement in both vote share and victory margin indicated effective constituency work during his first term. However, his decision to leave DMK and contest as an Independent in 2026 marks a significant shift in his political journey. Karthikeyan's current financial declaration shows total assets of Rs. 21.73 lakhs with liabilities of Rs. 8 lakhs, resulting in a net worth of approximately Rs. 13.73 lakhs. This relatively modest asset base for a sitting MLA who has served for eight years raises questions, though no controversies or corruption allegations have surfaced against him in available media reports. His clean record with zero declared criminal cases is noteworthy. Voters in Rishivandiyam face an interesting choice in 2026: their two-term incumbent MLA now running as an Independent against multiple party candidates including DMK's official nominee. The absence of detailed information about his legislative work, development initiatives, or reasons for leaving DMK leaves voters with limited insight into his governance record. His electoral success suggests local popularity, but the Independent route presents new challenges in a state where Dravidian parties traditionally dominate.