V Senthilbalaji
V Senthilbalaji
DMKMLA · Coimbatore (South)- Born
- 21 October 1975 in Rameswarapatti, Karur district (50 yrs)
- Constituency
- Coimbatore (South) · AC 120
- District
- Coimbatore
- Party
- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
- Profession
- Politician (1996– ); businessman before politics; sitting DMK MLA
- 2026 result
- won by 2,271 votes
- Education
- B.Com., Karur Govt Arts College in Bharathidasan University, Discontinued in 16/04/1995, 12th Standard Municipal Higher Secondary School Karur - 1993
At a glance
Education
- SchoolingSchooling in Karur district
- GraduationB.Com.
ECI affidavit (2026)
13 pending criminal cases declared in the 2026 ECI affidavit. Total declared assets: ₹4.54 cr.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total declared assets | ₹4.54 cr |
| Liabilities | ₹57.17 L |
Career timeline
- 1996Joins the DMK as a youth-wing organiser in Karur.
- 2000Switches to the AIADMK under J. Jayalalithaa.
- 2006First MLA win from Karur on the AIADMK ticket.
- 16 May 2011Re-elected from Karur; sworn in as Minister for Transport in Jayalalithaa's cabinet — a portfolio he held until 28 July 2015 under both Jayalalithaa and OPS.
- 2016Wins from Aravakurichi on the AIADMK ticket.
- 14 Dec 2018Quits AIADMK and joins DMK after the post-Jayalalithaa party split.
- 2019Wins the Aravakurichi by-election on a DMK ticket — his first DMK Assembly win.
- 7 May 2021Returns from Karur on the DMK ticket and is sworn in as Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise in M. K. Stalin's first cabinet.
- 14 Jun 2023Arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the PMLA case linked to alleged cash-for-jobs in the Transport Department during his 2011-15 tenure as AIADMK Transport Minister; three FIRs originally registered between 2015 and 2018.
- 12 Feb 2024Resigns as Minister while in custody; portfolio held vacant.
- 26 Sep 2024Granted bail by the Supreme Court in the PMLA case after 471 days in custody. Sworn back into the cabinet on 28 September 2024 with the same portfolio.
- 28 Apr 2025Resigns as Minister a second time; the Supreme Court declines the ED's plea to bar him from public office while the trial continues.
- 23 Apr 2026Wins Coimbatore South (AC 120) with 59,724 votes — defeating TVK's V. Senthilkumar by 2,271 votes in a 32-candidate contest, with AIADMK's K. Arjunan a distant third on 31,689.
- 10 May 2026Took oath as MLA in the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
The 2026 win — Coimbatore (South)
V Senthilbalaji polled 59,724 votes, defeating V. Senthilkumar (TVK) by a margin of 2,271.
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | V Senthilbalaji | DMK | 59,724 |
| 2 | V. Senthilkumar | TVK | 57,453 |
| 3 | Amman K ARJUNAN. | AIADMK | 31,689 |
| 4 | Perarivalan . V | NTK | 5,062 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 759 |
→ Full Coimbatore (South) (AC 120) seat page · district: Coimbatore
Family
Married to Megala Senthilbalaji; one daughter. The ED has summoned his wife and his brother in connection with the PMLA case; both have appeared in court as witnesses to date.
Party & ideology
Senthilbalaji's politics has tracked Tamil Nadu's two-Dravidian-pole churn — DMK youth wing in 1996, AIADMK strongman through Jayalalithaa's two terms, then back to the DMK in December 2018 as M. K. Stalin began rebuilding the party's Kongu presence ahead of 2021. His base is the Mukkulathor (Kallar) and Kongu vote in Karur, Aravakurichi and Coimbatore-Erode belt; his 2026 shift to Coimbatore South was a strategic re-deployment by DMK to anchor the urban industrial seat after AIADMK's Vanathi Srinivasan held it in 2021.
Official channels
FAQ
How many times has V. Senthilbalaji won?
Five — Karur in 2006 (AIADMK), Karur 2011 (AIADMK), Aravakurichi 2016 (AIADMK), Aravakurichi by-poll 2019 (DMK), Karur 2021 (DMK), and Coimbatore South 2026 (DMK).
What is the ED case about?
The Enforcement Directorate filed a Prevention of Money-Laundering Act case based on three FIRs registered between 2015 and 2018, alleging that money was collected in exchange for jobs in the Tamil Nadu Transport Department during his 2011-15 tenure as AIADMK Transport Minister. He was arrested on 14 June 2023, granted bail by the Supreme Court on 26 September 2024 after 471 days in custody, and the trial continues.
What ministerial portfolios has he held?
Transport (AIADMK, 16 May 2011 – 28 July 2015) and Electricity, Prohibition and Excise (DMK, 7 May 2021 – 12 February 2024 and 28 September 2024 – 28 April 2025). He resigned twice from the DMK cabinet in connection with the ED case.
Why did he move from Karur to Coimbatore South in 2026?
DMK's seat-allocation strategy. Coimbatore South was held by AIADMK's Vanathi Srinivasan in 2021; the DMK fielded Senthilbalaji to consolidate the Kongu industrial vote against TVK's surge and AIADMK incumbency. He won by 2,271 votes — among the closest DMK margins of the cycle.
Sources
- Wikipedia · V. Senthil Balaji — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._Senthil_Balaji
- V. Senthilbalaji myneta affidavit (2026) — https://www.myneta.info/TamilNadu2026/candidate.php?candidate_id=1389
- Supreme Court Observer · SC grants bail in PMLA case — https://www.scobserver.in/journal/judgement-summary-supreme-court-grants-bail-to-tamil-nadu-minister-senthil-balaji-in-pmla-case/
- Business Standard · Senthil Balaji sworn in 28 Sep 2024 — https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/senthil-balaji-three-others-take-oath-as-ministers-in-stalin-cabinet-124092900375_1.html
- DT Next · ED raids Electricity Minister — https://www.dtnext.in/news/tamilnadu/ed-raids-minister-senthilbalajis-house-in-job-racket-case-718176
- Webjosh · SC declines ED plea to bar Senthilbalaji — https://www.webjosh.com/article/supreme-court-declines-ed-s-plea-to-bar-senthilbalaji-from-holding-any-office-till-completion-of-trial-1745844310-17822
- ECI · Assembly Constituency 120 (Coimbatore South) 2026 — https://results.eci.gov.in/ResultAcGenMay2026/candidateswise-S22120.htm