P VISWANATHAN.
P VISWANATHAN.
CONGMLA · Melur- Born
- 1964 (61 yrs as of 2026)
- Constituency
- Melur · AC 188
- District
- Madurai
- Party
- Indian National Congress
- Profession
- Social service; politician — Congress veteran, former AICC in-charge for Telangana
- 2026 result
- won by 2,724 votes
- Education
- B.A. Degree From Madras University on March 1989
At a glance
Education
- Mar 1989B.A., University of Madras
ECI affidavit (2026)
1 pending criminal case declared in the 2026 ECI affidavit. Total declared assets: ₹3.64 cr.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total declared assets | ₹3.64 cr |
| Liabilities | ₹1.06 cr |
Career timeline
- 1989Earns B.A. from University of Madras.
- 1990s–2010sLong-running Congress organisational career in Tamil Nadu and at the all-India level.
- Pre-2025Serves as All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Telangana — handling state-affairs portfolio for the AICC at headquarters in Delhi.
- Pre-2026Publicly expresses interest in contesting from a general (non-reserved) constituency.
- Apr 2026Fielded by Congress for Melur after final-stage deliberations — one of 28 Congress candidates in the DMK-led alliance slate.
- 23 Apr 2026Wins Melur (AC 188) by a narrow 2,724-vote margin over TVK's A. Maduraiveeran.
- May 2026Part of the 5-MLA Congress bloc that pivoted from DMK to TVK on 6 May 2026.
The 2026 win — Melur
P VISWANATHAN. polled 60,080 votes, defeating A MADURAIVEERAN. (TVK) by a margin of 2,724.
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P VISWANATHAN. | CONG | 60,080 |
| 2 | A MADURAIVEERAN. | TVK | 57,356 |
| 3 | P PERIYAPULLAN. A Selvam | AIADMK | 56,744 |
| 4 | Kottaikumar | NTK | 9,570 |
| 5 | Soniagandhi | IND | 2,628 |
→ Full Melur (AC 188) seat page · district: Madurai
Family
S/o · D/o · W/o N .Perumal. Spouse: College Associate Professor.
Party & ideology
Viswanathan's strength is organisational — decades inside the Congress machine, including a stint as AICC in-charge for Telangana. His Melur win in a year that wiped out most Congress seats reflects the value of an experienced organiser running a tight ground campaign. Inside the 16th Assembly he brings AICC-level relationships that may matter for the Congress-TVK alliance management going forward.
FAQ
Who is P. Viswanathan?
61-year-old Congress veteran from Madurai district. First-time MLA from Melur (AC 188), elected on INC ticket in 2026 with 60,080 votes. Holds a B.A. from University of Madras (1989) and lists his profession as 'social service'.
Was Viswanathan the AICC in-charge for Telangana?
Yes — pre-2026 he served as AICC in-charge for Telangana, handling that state's affairs at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in Delhi. The role gave him cross-state organisational reach that shaped his profile inside the Tamil Congress.
How close was the Melur 2026 contest?
Very close — Viswanathan won by 2,724 votes against TVK's A. Maduraiveeran after 21 rounds of counting. One of the narrower 2026 alliance margins.
Why did he want a general (non-reserved) seat?
Viswanathan had publicly expressed interest in contesting from a general constituency rather than a reserved one — Melur fits that brief. The candidacy materialised after Congress finalised its 28-seat slate.
Sources
- Viswanathan myneta affidavit (2026) — https://myneta.info/TamilNadu2026/candidate.php?candidate_id=1193
- NewKerala · Congress fields Viswanathan in Melur — https://www.newkerala.com/news/a/viswanathan-named-congress-candidate-melur-assembly-seat-tamil-321.htm
- Punjab Kesari · Congress fields Viswanathan — https://english.punjabkesari.com/india/p-viswanathan-announced-as-congress-candidate-for-melur-assembly-seat-in-tn-after-hectic-deliberations/amp/
- Prokerala · Viswanathan named for Melur — https://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a1747513.html
- Election Commission of India · TN 2026 — https://results.eci.gov.in/ResultAcGenMay2026/