P.Karthikeyan

P. Karthikeyan, born December 5, 1960 in Vellore, represents a classic political success story marred by serious corruption allegations. Coming from an economically disadvantaged background, he dropped out after 5th standard and started work as a mechanic to support his family. Through determination, he built multiple businesses including Karthi Sound Service, Karthi Agency, Baby Restaurant, and Baby Mahal, eventually accumulating declared assets of ₹25.36 crore. He joined DMK in 2000 and steadily rose through local governance, serving as Municipal Chairman (2006-08) and becoming Vellore's first mayor when it became a Municipal Corporation (2008-11). His electoral career has been consistently successful but increasingly controversial. In 2016, he won the Vellore Assembly seat with a commanding 51.53% vote share, defeating AIADMK's Harun Rasheed by 26,210 votes. He retained the seat in 2021 with 47.24% votes, though his victory margin shrunk significantly to just 9,181 votes against AIADMK's S.R.K. Appu. Between these wins, however, came the 2019 cash-for-vote scandal that shook Vellore politics—over ₹11 crore was seized from DMK leaders during the parliamentary election, forcing the Election Commission to cancel voting in the constituency. Karthikeyan denied involvement, calling it a conspiracy, but the incident remains a significant black mark. More recently, in August 2025, BJP's K. Annamalai accused him and other DMK leaders of orchestrating an ₹888 crore cash-for-jobs scam in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, allegedly selling 2,538 government posts at ₹35 lakh each. While no specific FIR or court case directly naming Karthikeyan has been documented in available sources, these allegations add to voter concerns. Despite controversies, he continues to command CM Stalin's support, with the Chief Minister personally campaigning door-to-door in Vellore for the 2026 elections. Voters should weigh Karthikeyan's demonstrated administrative experience and grassroots connect against serious corruption allegations that have not been legally resolved. His journey from mechanic to MLA shows political acumen, but the pattern of money-related scandals—both in 2019 and 2025—raises questions about governance integrity. With limited social media presence and no detailed documentation of specific development work during his MLA tenure, voters have relatively few transparent channels to assess his performance beyond election results and controversy headlines.