TN 2026  ›  All MLAs  ›  R. Kathiravan
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam · MLA Manapparai · AC 138

R. Kathiravan

R. Kathiravan won Manapparai (AC 138) in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election as the TVK candidate, polling 83,041 votes against 81,615 for AIADMK's Dr. PL. Vijayakumar — a margin of just 1,426, among the tightest TVK wins in the state. A 33-year-old 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.

R. Kathiravan
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam

R. Kathiravan

TVKMLA · Manapparai
Born
1992 or 1993 (33 yrs); enrolled voter in Manapparai (AC 138), Tiruchirappalli; son of M. Ramachandran
Constituency
Manapparai · AC 138
District
Tiruchirappalli
Party
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Profession
Self-employed in social service and sales; runs a small eatery in Manapparai; mechanical engineer by training
2026 result
won by 1,426 votes
Education
B.E. From Mechanical Engineering SA Engineering College, Chennai - 2014

At a glance

2026 votes
83,041
in the assembly election
Margin
1,426
votes ahead of runner-up
Constituency
Manapparai
AC 138 · Tiruchirappalli
Party
TVK
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Field size
19
candidates contested
Age
33 yrs
as of 2026
Declared assets
₹2.22 cr
ECI affidavit, 2026
Criminal cases
4 pending
declared in affidavit

Education

Highest qualificationGraduate Professional

ECI affidavit (2026)

4 pending criminal cases declared in the 2026 ECI affidavit. Total declared assets: ₹2.22 cr.

ItemValue
Total declared assets₹2.22 cr
Liabilities₹76.78 L
Source: Election Commission of India affidavit, March 2026 — collated by myneta.info (view live page).

Career timeline

The 2026 win — Manapparai

R. Kathiravan polled 83,041 votes, defeating Dr . Pl . Vijayakumar (AIADMK) by a margin of 1,426.

#CandidatePartyVotes
1R. KathiravanTVK83,041
2Dr . Pl . VijayakumarAIADMK81,615
3P. Abdul SamedDMK61,355
4M. ArunagiriNTK10,070
5NotaNOTA949

→ Full Manapparai (AC 138) seat page · district: Tiruchirappalli

Family

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

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, but his win became part of the larger story of TVK's 12-seat breach of the DMK-AIADMK Delta belt.

FAQ

Who is R. Kathiravan?

R. Kathiravan (33) is the first-time 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. Kathiravan's win is one of 12 seats TVK took in the Delta region, almost all by first-time grassroots candidates, breaking the Dravidian duopoly's grip on this geography.

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).

Sources