S.M.Irshad

S.M. Irshad, 56, is contesting from Vellore constituency on a Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi ticket. An 8th pass declaring himself as self-employed, Irshad has declared assets worth Rs. 51.62 lakhs, all in movable assets with no immovable property. He has no criminal cases against him and no liabilities. Despite extensive searches, no biographical information, political history, or public record of his activities could be found. The party he represents, Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), was founded by T. Velmurugan in 2012 and focuses on Tamil identity, social justice, and regional development. The party has influence among the Vanniyar community in northern Tamil Nadu. In January 2025, TVK exited the DMK-led alliance, positioning itself as an independent regional force while rejecting alignment with BJP or NDA. Vellore has traditionally been a DMK stronghold, though elections have become more competitive in recent years. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, DMK's Kathir Anand won by just 8,141 votes against AIADMK's A.C. Shanmugam. In the 2021 assembly elections, DMK's P. Karthikeyan won the Vellore seat with 47.24% of votes, defeating AIADMK's S.R.K. Appu who secured 42.09%. Voters should note that Irshad has no documented political experience, no visible public engagement, and no traceable record of community work or development initiatives. His candidacy appears to be that of a political newcomer with the emerging TVK party in a constituency where major parties have historically dominated.