M. R. Vijayabhaskar
M. R. Vijayabhaskar
AIADMKMLA · Karur- Constituency
- Karur · AC 135
- District
- Karur
- Party
- All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
- Profession
- Politician — AIADMK; former Tamil Nadu Minister for Transport (2016-21) under Jayalalithaa II / EPS-OPS
- 2026 result
- won by 1,821 votes
- Education
- 11th from Municipal Higher Secondary School, Karur, Trichy District 1983
At a glance
Education
- 11th Stdfrom Municipal Higher Secondary School, Karur, Trichy District 1983
ECI affidavit (2026)
31 pending criminal cases declared in the 2026 ECI affidavit. Total declared assets: ₹18.54 cr.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total declared assets | ₹18.54 cr |
| Liabilities | ₹5.54 cr |
Career timeline
- 1990s–2010sLong-standing AIADMK organiser in Karur district; senior figure in the party's western Tamil Nadu base.
- 2016Wins Karur on AIADMK ticket with 81,936 votes — his first Assembly term.
- May 2016Appointed Minister for Transport by Jayalalithaa in her sixth ministry. As minister, made it compulsory to carry driving licenses while on the road.
- 2017–2021Continues as Transport Minister through the EPS-OPS years.
- 2021Loses Karur to DMK's V. Senthil Balaji by 12,448 votes.
- Jul 2024Arrested by the CB-CID in Kerala in a ₹100 crore land-grab case — alleged to have usurped 22 acres in Karur district with fake documents alongside his brother. Granted conditional bail later that month.
- Oct 2021 → ongoingDisproportionate-assets investigation by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption: ₹27.22 crore beyond known income sources alleged for 2011-2021. Raids on 21 properties; FIR filed.
- 23 Apr 2026Wins back Karur on AIADMK ticket as TVK splits the DMK vote in central Tamil Nadu.
The 2026 win — Karur
M. R. Vijayabhaskar polled 71,542 votes, defeating Mathiyalagan V. P. (TVK) by a margin of 1,821.
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. R. Vijayabhaskar | AIADMK | 71,542 |
| 2 | Mathiyalagan V. P. | TVK | 69,721 |
| 3 | Aasee M. Thiagarajan | DMK | 67,256 |
| 4 | Karuppaiya . R | NTK | 5,465 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 539 |
→ Full Karur (AC 135) seat page · district: Karur
Family
Tamil Nadu political family with deep roots in Karur district business and politics. Brother named in the 2024 land-grab case alongside him.
Party & ideology
Vijayabhaskar's politics is anchored in the AIADMK Dravidian tradition — Tamil-pride, agrarian welfare, the EPS line inside the party. The 31-case criminal record, the Jul-2024 arrest, and the DVAC probe make him one of the most legally-encumbered MLAs in the 16th Assembly. His Karur win in 2026 is partly a function of the TVK-DMK vote split: with Senthil Balaji's wing weakened, the AIADMK base reasserted in the constituency.
FAQ
Who is M. R. Vijayabhaskar?
AIADMK MLA from Karur (AC 135) and former Tamil Nadu Minister for Transport (2016-21) under the Jayalalithaa-II / EPS-OPS governments. Returns to the Assembly in 2026 after losing in 2021. Has 31 pending criminal cases per his 2026 ECI affidavit — the highest of any MLA in the 16th Assembly.
What is the ₹100 crore land-grab case?
In July 2024, the CB-CID arrested Vijayabhaskar in Kerala in connection with a case alleging he and his brother had usurped about 22 acres of land in Karur district worth ₹100 crore using fake documents. The complaint was filed by a Vangal-based businessman. He received conditional bail later that month.
What is the DVAC probe?
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption launched a disproportionate-assets investigation against Vijayabhaskar — alleging ₹27.22 crore accumulated beyond known income sources between 2011 and 2021. Raids on 21 of his properties were conducted on 22 July 2021; an FIR followed on 18 October 2021. The matter is ongoing.
Why does Vijayabhaskar have 31 criminal cases?
He himself attributes most of them to political prosecutions following the DMK government's return to power in 2021 — saying that 'since the DMK came to power, 31 cases were registered against him.' The actual case file mix includes the land-grab matter, the disproportionate-assets probe, and assorted public-order / political-protest charges.
Sources
- Wikipedia · M. R. Vijayabhaskar — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._R._Vijayabhaskar
- Vijayabhaskar myneta affidavit (2026) — https://www.myneta.info/TamilNadu2026/candidate.php?candidate_id=59
- The Print · Held in ₹100 crore land scam — https://theprint.in/india/minister-during-aiadmk-regime-m-r-vijayabhaskar-held-in-rs-100-crore-land-scam/2177408/
- The Week · Arrested from Kerala over ₹100 cr land grab — https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2024/07/16/tamil-nadu-police-arrest-former-aiadmk-min-vijayabhaskar-from-kerala-over-rs-100-cr-land-grab-case.html
- DT Next · Madras HC adjourns anticipatory bail plea — https://www.dtnext.in/news/tamilnadu/rs-100-crore-land-grabbing-case-madras-hc-adjourns-mr-vijayabhaskars-anticipatory-bail-plea-after-arrest-795197
- The News Minute · DVAC searches — https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/former-tn-transport-minister-mr-vijayabhaskar-searched-dvac-officials-152739
- Election Commission of India · TN 2026 — https://results.eci.gov.in/ResultAcGenMay2026/