MLA · 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly (2026–31)Former MLA · 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly (2026–31)
Won 2026 by 10,605
Minister
K. Jegadeshwari
கே. ஜெகதேஸ்வரி
MLA for Rajapalayam since May 2026MLA for Rajapalayam, 2026–31TVK
Minister for Social Welfare & Women Empowerment · Nutritious Meal Programme, from 21 May 2026
AC 202 · Virudhunagar district
Sitting MLA · 17th Assembly (2026–31)
Term ended 10 May 2031
Age 40 at the 2026 election
declared assets
₹19.02 lakh
pending criminal cases
0
education
Graduate
times elected MLA
1
Assets, cases and education as declared in the 2026 sworn affidavit to the Election Commission of India. Age: from the Election Commission's candidate profile.
Sworn in as Minister for Social Welfare & Women Empowerment and Nutritious Meal Programme in CM Vijay's ministry.
Post-result, May 2026
In an interview, described the campaign as one she had to fight harder than a male candidate would have, and said her focus is on delivery of promised benefits to constituents.
11 May 2026
Took oath as MLA in the first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
Profile
About K. Jegadeshwari
A B.Sc. graduate and TVK's Virudhunagar South-West District Party Secretary, she is one of the woman first-time legislators from TVK's south Tamil Nadu slate. After the result she described having faced threats during the campaign and said she had worked many times harder than a male candidate would have.
Party
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
In government
Minister · Social Welfare & Women Empowerment · Nutritious Meal Programme · from 21 May 2026
Born
Virudhunagar district; age and DOB to be confirmed from the 2026 ECI affidavit
Profession
Politician and TVK organiser; Virudhunagar South-West District Party Secretary, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Jegadeshwari's path mirrors TVK's pitch on women in politics — a district-secretary-tier organiser given a high-stakes ticket against an incumbent two-term MLA, in a seat the party had no prior history in. Her post-result interview, in which she spoke about threats during campaigning and the asymmetric load on women candidates, was widely picked up as part of the larger conversation on TVK's women MLAs.
Family
Family details kept private; details to be appended once the 2026 ECI affidavit is digitised on the public portal.
Questions people ask
Which minister is K. Jegadeshwari?
Minister for Social Welfare & Women Empowerment, Nutritious Meal Programme in the Tamil Nadu government, from 21 May 2026; portfolios as on the Government of Tamil Nadu's list of ministers, checked 26 September 2026.
Who is K. Jegadeshwari?
K. Jegadeshwari was elected in 2026 as the TVK MLA for Rajapalayam (AC 202), Virudhunagar district. On 21 May 2026 she was sworn in as Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment and the Nutritious Meal Programme. A B.Sc. graduate, she is TVK's Virudhunagar South-West District Party Secretary and a first-time legislator. She defeated DMK two-time MLA S. Thangapandian in 2026.
What did she say after winning?
In a post-result interview she said she had faced many threats and had worked many times harder than a male candidate would have, and that her focus would now be on delivering promised benefits to constituents.
