Anitha R. Radhakrishnan
Anitha R. Radhakrishnan
DMKMLA · Tiruchendur- Born
- 19 September 1951 in Thandupathu, Udangudi, Thoothukudi district (74 yrs)
- Constituency
- Tiruchendur · AC 215
- District
- Thoothukudi
- Party
- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
- Profession
- Politician (1990s– ); long-rooted in the Tiruchendur fishermen-and-coastal politics of Thoothukudi district
- 2026 result
- won by 5,872 votes
- Education
- 10th from Bishop Assyria Memorial High School, Vellalanvilai in 1969
At a glance
Education
- SchoolingSchooling in Thoothukudi district
ECI affidavit (2026)
3 pending criminal cases declared in the 2026 ECI affidavit. Total declared assets: ₹8.64 cr.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total declared assets | ₹8.64 cr |
| Liabilities | ₹18.50 L |
Career timeline
- Early careerJoins the AIADMK; rises through the Tiruchendur party structure in the Thoothukudi coastal belt.
- 2001First MLA win from Tiruchendur on the AIADMK ticket with 54.30%, defeating DMK's S. Jennifer Chandran.
- Nov 2002 – May 2006Sworn in as Minister for Housing and Urban Development in the J. Jayalalithaa cabinet — handled TNHB / TNSCB programmes through her first full term.
- 2006Re-elected from Tiruchendur on the AIADMK ticket with 52.52%.
- 30 Jul 2009Expelled by the AIADMK for alleged anti-party activities. Joins the DMK the same year.
- 2009Wins the Tiruchendur by-election on the DMK ticket with 67.81% vote share — the bridge from AIADMK to DMK is sealed.
- 2011, 2016, 2021Re-elected from Tiruchendur on the DMK ticket in three successive elections.
- May 2015Briefly suspended by the DMK after greeting AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa following her acquittal in the disproportionate-assets case. Reinstated soon after.
- 7 May 2021Sworn in as Minister for Fisheries, Fishermen Welfare and Animal Husbandry in the first M. K. Stalin cabinet — handled the Tamil Nadu fisheries policy, the Sri Lanka-fishermen issue, the Pamban-Rameswaram fishing cluster and the state's animal husbandry and dairy programmes.
- Feb 2022Enforcement Directorate provisionally attaches assets of about Rs 6.5 crore guidance value — 18 immovable properties, 160 acres of land — under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, in connection with a 2006 DVAC case alleging assets disproportionate to known income for 2001-2006. Radhakrishnan denies wrongdoing; the case continues at the trial stage.
- Mar 2025Police register a case against him after BJP complaints over remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- 23 Apr 2026Wins Tiruchendur (AC 215) with 72,723 votes — a margin of 5,872 over TVK's J. Murugan in a tight three-way race that included BJP's K. R. M. Radhakrishnan (34,159).
- 10 May 2026Continues as DMK MLA in the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly — seventh Tiruchendur win across two parties and four decades.
The 2026 win — Tiruchendur
Anitha R. Radhakrishnan polled 72,723 votes, defeating J. Murugan (TVK) by a margin of 5,872.
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anitha R. Radhakrishnan | DMK | 72,723 |
| 2 | J. Murugan | TVK | 66,851 |
| 3 | K R M Radhakrishnan | BJP | 34,159 |
| 4 | Ophiliya | NTK | 9,794 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 722 |
→ Full Tiruchendur (AC 215) seat page · district: Thoothukudi
Family
From Thandupathu, Udangudi, Thoothukudi district. Wider family details kept private per ECI affidavit.
Party & ideology
Radhakrishnan is one of the small group of senior Tamil Nadu legislators who built a long career inside the AIADMK and switched to the DMK mid-stream — winning Tiruchendur both times. His ministerial record spans both the Jayalalithaa and Stalin cabinets, and his Fisheries portfolio in 2021-26 made him the cabinet face of the Tamil Nadu fishermen-Sri Lanka issue and of the state's coastal-economy policy.
FAQ
How many times has Anitha R. Radhakrishnan won?
Seven — Tiruchendur in 2001 and 2006 (AIADMK), then 2009 by-election, 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026 (DMK). He has held two ministerial portfolios across two parties — Housing and Urban Development under Jayalalithaa (2002-06) and Fisheries, Fishermen Welfare and Animal Husbandry under M. K. Stalin (2021-26).
Why did he switch from AIADMK to DMK?
He was expelled by the AIADMK on 30 July 2009 for alleged anti-party activities. He joined the DMK the same year and won the subsequent Tiruchendur by-election in 2009 on the DMK ticket with 67.81% — and has stayed with the party since.
What is the ED money-laundering case about?
The case originates in a 2006 disproportionate-assets complaint filed by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) covering the period 14 May 2001 – 31 March 2006. In February 2022 the Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached assets of about Rs 6.5 crore guidance value — 18 immovable properties and 160 acres of land — under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Radhakrishnan denies wrongdoing; the case is at the trial stage.
What did he do as Fisheries Minister?
From May 2021 to May 2026 he handled Tamil Nadu's Fisheries, Fishermen Welfare and Animal Husbandry portfolios — including the diplomatic and welfare response on Sri Lankan-Navy detentions of TN fishermen, the Pamban-Rameswaram fishing cluster, the Wadge Bank issue, the Coastal Aquaculture and shrimp-export policy, and the state's animal husbandry and dairy programmes.
Sources
- Wikipedia · Anitha R. Radhakrishnan — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anitha_R._Radhakrishnan
- Anitha R. Radhakrishnan myneta affidavit (2021) — https://www.myneta.info/TamilNadu2021/candidate.php?candidate_id=1588
- India Leader · Anitha R Radhakrishnan — https://www.indialeader.com/ViewLeader/60100/Anitha-Radhhakrishnan
- The News Minute · ED attaches assets worth Rs 6.5 cr of TN Minister — https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ed-attaches-assets-worth-rs-65-cr-tn-minister-money-laundering-case-160534
- Swarajya · ED attaches assets of DMK Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan — https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/ed-attaches-assets-of-dmk-minister-anitha-radhakrishnan-in-a-money-laundering-case-based-on-a-case-filed-during-previous-dmk-regime
- ETV Bharat · TN Police register case against Minister over Modi remarks — https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!state/tamil-nadu-police-register-case-against-dmk-minister-over-derogatory-remarks-against-pm-modi-enn24032503875
- Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (TN) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Animal_Husbandry,_Dairying_and_Fisheries_(Tamil_Nadu)
- Election Commission of India · Assembly Constituency 215 (Tiruchendur) 2026 — https://results.eci.gov.in/ResultAcGenMay2026/candidateswise-S22215.htm