CHENNAI: Madurai Central delivered an upset that few had anticipated. In a contest framed around familiar names, former Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, with his political legacy, and filmmaker-turned-candidate Sundar C, it was an unlikely challenger who captured the moment on counting day. S Madhur Badhurudeen, a meat shop owner with little presence in mainstream political discourse, clinched a decisive victory, reflecting a mood in which high-profile candidates were swept aside by relatively unknown faces riding on Vijay’s popularity. Badhurudeen won by a margin of 19,128 votes.
This was not an isolated case. Across constituencies, several former ministers and seasoned politicians were defeated by candidates with modest backgrounds, including an auto driver, a driver’s son, homemakers, a person with a disability, and a photographer, underscoring a wider shift in voter preference.
In Avanashi (SC), homemaker S Kamali delivered a major upset, unseating Union Minister L Murugan. The defeat is particularly striking as the constituency had long been considered a safe seat, with the AIADMK retaining it over the past five elections. In Ranipet, another homemaker, Thahira, defeated four-time MLA and minister R Gandhi, extending the trend of unexpected victories.
While TVK fielded some of its most prominent candidates in Chennai, the capital too witnessed the rise of grassroots contenders. K V Vijay Damu, an auto driver associated with Vijay Makkal Iyakkam for decades, and R Sabarinathan, the son of Vijay’s driver, saw their long-standing loyalty rewarded with electoral success. Damu defeated DMK’s A Subair Khan and AIADMK veteran D Jayakumar by a margin of 14,249 votes. Sabarinathan, meanwhile, overcame DMK incumbent MLA A M V Prabhakara Raja with a margin of 27,086 votes. In TVK Nagar, M R Pallavi, a Class 12-educated candidate with an annual income of Rs 4.7 lakh, defeated DMK’s K S Ravichandran by over 22,000 votes.
In Uthiramerur, J Munirathinam, the only candidate with a disability in the fray, campaigned using callipers and defeated DMK MLA K Sundar, who was seeking a sixth consecutive term. Although his candidature drew attention, few had anticipated his victory.
In Manamadurai (Sivaganga), D Elangovan, a photographer by profession who declared no annual income and modest assets, defeated DMK incumbent A Tamilarasi, again reflecting the rise of candidates from humble backgrounds.
In Poonamallee, TVK’s R Prakasam, a social worker and load carrier with no annual income, secured a decisive victory by more than 75,000 votes over DMK heavyweight and former MLA-MP A Krishnaswamy, winning by a margin of 72,740 votes.
Adding further weight to these stories is Ramesh, a 31-year-old former software professional who quit his job to join TVK. He became known after representing the party in a television debate, and contested from Srirangam, far from his native Chengalpattu, after pledging his house for the campaign, ultimately defeating DMK’s S Durairaj by 33,590 votes.