TN 2026  ›  All MLAs  ›  Sabarinathan R.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam · MLA Virugampakkam · AC 22

Sabarinathan R.

R. Sabarinathan won Virugampakkam (AC 22) in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election as the TVK candidate, polling 76,092 votes and winning by a margin of 27,086 over DMK's A. M. V. Prabhakara Raja. Sabarinathan, 30, is the son of Rajendran — actor Vijay's personal driver and assistant for nearly three decades — and his selection has been widely cited as the symbolic 'fairytale' of TVK's 2026 debut. A mechanical engineer trained at Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, he grew up in Virugampakkam and worked through the local TVK organisation before being given the ticket.

Sabarinathan R.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam

Sabarinathan R.

TVKMLA · Virugampakkam
Born
Around 1995 in Chennai (30 yrs)
Constituency
Virugampakkam · AC 22
District
Chennai
Party
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Profession
Mechanical engineer; TVK organiser, Virugampakkam
2026 result
won by 27,086 votes
Education
B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering From Dr.M.G.R Educational and Reseach Institute in 2021, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering From Department of Technical Education in 2016, S.S.L.C From Vedha Vikas Matriculation HSS in 2013

At a glance

2026 votes
76,092
in the assembly election
Margin
27,086
votes ahead of runner-up
Constituency
Virugampakkam
AC 22 · Chennai
Party
TVK
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Field size
25
candidates contested
Age
30 yrs
as of 2026
Declared assets
₹25.74 L
ECI affidavit, 2026
Criminal cases
0 pending
declared in affidavit

Education

Highest qualificationGraduate Professional

ECI affidavit (2026)

0 pending criminal cases declared in the 2026 ECI affidavit. Total declared assets: ₹25.74 L.

ItemValue
Total declared assets₹25.74 L
Source: Election Commission of India affidavit, March 2026 — collated by myneta.info (view live page).

Career timeline

The 2026 win — Virugampakkam

Sabarinathan R. polled 76,092 votes, defeating Prabhakara Raja A. M. V. (DMK) by a margin of 27,086.

#CandidatePartyVotes
1Sabarinathan R.TVK76,092
2Prabhakara Raja A. M. V.DMK49,006
3Virugai V N. RAVI.AIADMK38,767
4SanthoshNTK6,056
5NotaNOTA1,030

→ Full Virugampakkam (AC 22) seat page · district: Chennai

Family

Son of Rajendran, who has served as actor Vijay's personal driver and assistant for nearly three decades. Grew up in Virugampakkam, Chennai. Other family details kept private per ECI affidavit.

Party & ideology

Sabarinathan is one of TVK's most-cited 'common-man' candidates from the 2026 cycle — alongside autorickshaw-driver-turned-MLA Vijay Damu in Royapuram. His selection by Vijay drew on a personal tie (his father's three-decade service to the actor) but was framed by TVK as proof that political insiders are not the only path into the Assembly. His campaign was tightly local — neighbourhood infrastructure, lighting, drainage, transit gaps — rather than ideological grandstanding.

FAQ

Who is R. Sabarinathan?

R. Sabarinathan (30) is the TVK MLA from Virugampakkam (AC 22, Chennai). He is a mechanical engineer (B.Tech, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, 2021) and the son of Rajendran, who has worked as actor Vijay's personal driver and assistant for nearly three decades.

What was the result?

He polled 76,092 votes and won by 27,086 over DMK's A. M. V. Prabhakara Raja, with AIADMK's Virugai V. N. Ravi third on 38,767.

Why is his story called a 'fairytale'?

Multiple national outlets (New Indian Express, Zee News, Filmibeat) used the phrase to describe the arc of a 30-year-old engineer whose father drove for Vijay for nearly 30 years going on to be picked as TVK's candidate and elected MLA from his own neighbourhood. TVK has framed it as a deliberate signal that everyday households can produce legislators.

Sources