K.N.Nehru

K.N. Nehru (73), born November 9, 1952, in Kanakilliyanallur, Tiruchirappalli district, is a five-term MLA and senior DMK leader currently serving as Principal Secretary of DMK and Cabinet Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban, and Water Supply. From a Telugu Reddy family that switched from Congress to DMK in the early 1970s, Nehru rose from Pullambadi union chairman to become one of the party's most trusted organizational leaders. He has won from Lalgudi (1989, 1996) and Tiruchirappalli West (2006, 2016, 2021), with his 2021 victory delivering a massive 85,109-vote margin and 65.27% vote share. Party President M.K. Stalin has lauded him as indispensable to DMK's organizational machinery, particularly in orchestrating major party conferences. However, Nehru's fourth-term bid faces unprecedented challenges from serious corruption allegations. The Enforcement Directorate has implicated him in a ₹1,000 crore cash-for-jobs scam involving manipulation of recruitment exams in his own Municipal Administration and Water Supply department. The Madras High Court has directed the DVAC to register a criminal case based on a 232-page dossier alleging that his relatives and associates accepted bribes for job placements. Separately, ED investigations into a ₹22 crore bank fraud case involve his brothers Ravichandran and Manivannan, and his son Arun Nehru, through their real estate company Truedom EPC Limited. Despite his affidavit declaring zero criminal cases, these active investigations with court-mandated case registrations represent significant legal jeopardy. Critics also point to development deficits in Tiruchirappalli West, including the absence of government high schools and basic amenities despite Nehru's 15+ years representing the area (2006, 2016-present). He has countered by highlighting infrastructure projects including a new bus stand and welfare schemes under the DMK government. The 2026 election marks the first three-cornered contest in recent history, with AMMK's Thottiyan Rajasekaran and TVK's G. Ramamoorthy leveraging the corruption allegations to challenge his dominance. Voters face a critical choice: a experienced administrator with deep party credentials and proven electoral appeal versus a leader facing court-directed criminal investigations for alleged systemic corruption in government recruitment. His declared assets of ₹6.32 crore appear modest for his long political career, though no previous election data exists for comparison. The outcome will test whether organizational loyalty and development claims can overcome serious allegations of corruption involving hundreds of crores.