MLA · 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly (2026–31)Former MLA · 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly (2026–31)

R. Kathiravan
  • Won 2026 by 1,426

R. Kathiravan

ஆர். கதிரவன்

MLA for Manapparai since May 2026MLA for Manapparai, 2026–31TVK

  • AC 138 · Tiruchirappalli district
  • Sitting MLA · 17th Assembly (2026–31)
  • Age 33 at the 2026 election
declared assets
₹2.22 cr
pending criminal cases
4
education
Professional degree
times elected MLA
1

Assets, cases and education as declared in the 2026 sworn affidavit to the Election Commission of India. The cases are pending, not convictions. Age: from the Election Commission's candidate profile.

How did my village vote?Manapparai seat page

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Career

R. Kathiravan: the career, year by year

First elected to the Assembly in 2026

  • Assembly win
  • Office held
  • Party
  1. 2014

    Completes B.E. (Mechanical Engineering) from SA Engineering College, Chennai.

  2. Post-2014

    Returns to Manapparai; runs a small eatery and a sales business; is part of the local Vijay fan-club movement that later coalesced into TVK.

  3. 2025

    Joins Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam formally and is allotted the Manapparai ticket — picked from the local Vijay-fan-club organisational base for the 2026 Assembly election.

  4. 4 May 2026

    Won Manapparai for the TVK (polling was on 23 April).

    See the full 2026 result
  5. 11 May 2026

    Took oath as MLA in the first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Profile

About R. Kathiravan

A mechanical engineer who runs a small eatery and a sales business in Manapparai, and a long-time Vijay fan, Kathiravan is a flagship example of TVK's first-time grassroots wave that broke into the Cauvery Delta.

Party
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Born
1992 or 1993; enrolled voter in Manapparai (AC 138), Tiruchirappalli; son of M. Ramachandran
Profession
Self-employed in social service and sales; runs a small eatery in Manapparai; mechanical engineer by training
District
Tiruchirappalli

Education

  • 2014B.E. in Mechanical Engineering — SA Engineering College, Chennai.

Party & ideology

Kathiravan is widely cited as the archetype of TVK's commoner candidate strategy — a small-eatery owner from a Vijay fan-club background fielded against established Dravidian-party heavyweights. His pitch combines TVK's headline platform (Tamil identity, anti-incumbency, social-justice rhetoric) with the very specific Manapparai promise of micro-business protection, road and irrigation upkeep, and visible local presence. The 1,426-vote margin underscores how thin the swing was.

Family

Son of M. Ramachandran. Married; spouse is in the sales profession. Family otherwise private per ECI affidavit.

Questions people ask

Who is R. Kathiravan?

R. Kathiravan was first elected in 2026 as the TVK MLA from Manapparai (AC 138), Tiruchirappalli. A B.E. (Mechanical) graduate, he runs a small eatery and a sales business in Manapparai and was part of the local Vijay fan-club organising base before TVK fielded him.

Who did he defeat in 2026?

He defeated AIADMK's Dr. PL. Vijayakumar by just 1,426 votes (83,041 to 81,615), with DMK's P. Abdul Samed third on 61,355 votes — one of the closest TVK wins of the 2026 cycle.

Why is his win significant?

Manapparai sits at the western edge of the Cauvery Delta, traditionally a DMK-AIADMK arena.

What are his declared assets?

Total assets of approximately ₹2.22 crore per his 2026 ECI affidavit (mostly jewellery, deposits and vehicles) with around ₹76.78 lakh in liabilities. He has 4 pending cases (unlawful assembly, public nuisance, fire negligence) and 1 conviction (a 2023 Food Safety Act violation).

Other MLAs from Tiruchirappalli district

RameshSrirangam · TVKK. N. NehruTiruchirappalli (West) · DMKC. Joseph VijayTiruchirappalli (East) · TVK · formerNavalpattu S. VijiThiruverumbur · TVKLeema Rose MartinLalgudi · AIADMKS. KathiravanManachanallur · DMKM. VigneshMusiri · TVKM. RavisankarThuraiyur · TVK

Page last changed 2 October 2026.

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