Mahalingam. V

S. Mahalingam is a former MLA and veteran politician from Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur region, though his current affidavit unusually lists him as a 'Packing Master' rather than politician. He began his political career with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and achieved his only electoral success in 2001, winning the Avanashi constituency with 59,571 votes (48.20%) and a comfortable margin of 21,012 votes. He served in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly representing Avanashi from 2001 to 2006. After leaving AIADMK, Mahalingam's political fortunes declined dramatically. He shifted to contesting from Tiruppur (South) constituency as an independent candidate but faced repeated defeats. In the 2011 election, he managed only 944 votes (0.77%), losing to CPI(M)'s K. Thangavel who secured 75,424 votes. His performance remained marginal in 2016 and 2021 elections as well, consistently receiving less than 1% vote share. The reasons for his departure from AIADMK and subsequent inability to build an independent political base remain unclear from available records. Discrepancies exist between his affidavit and known background - while he declares 'Literate' education and work as a packing master, records show he holds a B.Sc. degree and has been a full-time politician for over 20 years. His declared assets of Rs. 7.89 lakhs with zero immovable property appear modest for someone with a legislative career. No criminal cases, controversies, or corruption allegations have surfaced against him in available records. Voters should know that Mahalingam represents a case of political decline - from being a winning MLA with AIADMK's backing to a fringe independent candidate receiving negligible votes. With no visible organizational structure, social media presence, or recent public engagement, his current candidacy appears largely symbolic rather than competitive in the Tiruppur (South) constituency where DMK and AIADMK dominate the electoral landscape.