R. Vaithilingam: the career, year by year
- Assembly win
- Office held
- Party
- May 2001
Won Orathanadu for the AIADMK, by 19,844 votes over the DMK.
- 2001–2006
Served as a minister in the AIADMK governments, holding Industries and, later, Forests and Environment.
- May 2006
Held Orathanadu for the AIADMK, by 3,843 votes over the DMK.
- 13 May 2011
Won Orathanadu for the AIADMK, by 32,644 votes over the DMK.
- May 2011
Became Minister for Housing and Urban Development in Jayalalithaa's cabinet, a post he held until 2016.
- 19 May 2016
Lost Orathanadu as the AIADMK's candidate, by 3,645 votes to the DMK.
- 3 Jun 2016
Elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha for the AIADMK; his term began on 30 June 2016.
- 21 Aug 2017
Named AIADMK deputy coordinator on the day the party's two factions merged.
- 2 May 2021
Won Orathanadu for the AIADMK, by 28,835 votes over the DMK.
- 7 May 2021
Resigned from the Rajya Sabha, after winning Orathanadu.
- 11 Jul 2022
Expelled from the AIADMK by its general council, along with O. Panneerselvam and P.H. Manoj Pandian.
- 21 Jan 2026
Resigned as the Orathanadu MLA and joined the DMK in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
- 4 May 2026
Won Orathanadu for the DMK (polling was on 23 April).
See the full 2026 result