Arul.D

R. Arul Ramadas (known as Arul.D in this affidavit) is a 46-year-old politician from Salem, Tamil Nadu, currently serving as the sitting MLA from Salem West constituency and Salem district secretary of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). He started his political career as a PMK cadre and rose through party ranks to hold various offices. In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, he secured a significant victory with 105,483 votes (49.07%), defeating his DMK rival by over 21,000 votes—a remarkable turnaround after losing the same seat in 2016 to AIADMK's G. Venkatachalam. However, his current candidature raises questions. While he is contesting as an 'Independent' candidate according to his affidavit and declares his profession as 'Agriculture & Transport Business,' web sources consistently identify him as a PMK leader and sitting MLA. In March 2026, he publicly expressed dissatisfaction with PMK's alliance with V.K. Sasikala and announced his intention to contest again, though he denied joining the DMK. This suggests possible tensions with his parent party, though the exact nature of his independent candidature remains unclear. On the ground, constituents have raised concerns about unresolved local issues during his tenure, including deteriorating groundwater quality in areas like Chettichavadi, sewage-mixed rainwater entering homes, inadequate toilet facilities at the New Bus Stand, and poor drainage infrastructure. While he has been involved in addressing these concerns, their persistence indicates implementation challenges. Voters should note the discrepancy between his affidavit (Independent candidate, agriculture/transport businessman) and his well-documented identity as a PMK MLA and district secretary. His declared assets of Rs. 1.24 crore with liabilities of Rs. 68 lacs appear reasonable for his stated professions, though there's no mention of MLA salary or allowances. With no criminal cases declared and none found in web searches, his legal record is clean. The key question is whether he's genuinely breaking from PMK or this is a strategic move.