Munirathinam.J

J. Munirathinam is contesting the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections from Uthiramerur constituency as a candidate for the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), founded by actor Vijay in February 2024. However, there is significant confusion about this candidate's identity. Web searches consistently return information about A.M. Munirathinam Mudaliyar, a veteran politician who has won from Sholinghur constituency five times (1989, 1991, 1996, 2016, and 2021) representing INC, TMC, and most recently DMK. The affidavit declares the profession as 'Builder and Land Developer' with substantial assets of ₹38 crore, but no information about construction or development businesses could be found online for either individual. The Uthiramerur constituency holds historical significance, known for its ancient Kudavolai system of local self-governance dating back to the 10th century. In 2021, DMK's K. Sundar won this seat. J. Munirathinam's candidacy comes at a challenging time for TVK, which is contesting all 234 seats without alliances in its debut election. The party has been under scrutiny following the tragic September 2025 Karur crowd crush incident that claimed 41 lives during a TVK rally, resulting in FIRs against party leaders for culpable homicide, though founder Vijay was not named. The candidate has declared one criminal case (Cr.No 106/2017 from Thiruperumbur Police Station) with no serious IPC charges, and liabilities of approximately ₹5 crore against total assets of ₹38 crore. No previous election affidavit data is available for comparison. Given the discrepancy between the affidavit profession and the extensive political career found online, voters should seek clarity on whether this is the same A.M. Munirathinam who has been a sitting MLA for decades, or a different individual with a similar name entering politics for the first time through TVK.