<p>Karaikudi Assembly constituency in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu has swung between the two Dravidian majors, DMK and AIADMK, and the Congress. </p><p>In 2016 and 2021, Congress candidates K R Ramasamy and S Mangudi emerged victorious and this election the constituency has attained star status with the entry of Naam Tamizhar Katchi chief S Seeman.</p><p><strong>Candidate's profile:</strong> </p><p><strong>Congress:</strong> S Mangudi is a sitting legislator and popular among the people for his good work and accessibility. He rose from the grassroots, having served as the president of Sankarapuram panchayat from 2006 to 2016 and was the Vice President of the Karaikudi District Congress Committee. He won the seat by a margin of 21,589 votes. </p><p><strong>AMMK:</strong> Dherpoki V Pandi is a staunch supporter of AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran and was associated with the AIADMK in the past. Pandi contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Sivaganga constituency and 2021 Assembly elections from Karaikudi. He lost both times. </p>.<p><strong>TVK:</strong> TVK has fielded Prabhu T K as its candidate.</p><p><strong>NTK:</strong> A proponent of Tamil nationalism and a strong advocate for regional autonomy, S Seeman is among the best orators in Tamil Nadu, captivating his audience for hours. Beginning his political career in 2011, months after he was released from jail following his arrest under the National Security Act, Seeman actively campaigned against the DMK-Congress alliance in the Assembly polls, blaming them for the death of innocent civilians in Sri Lankan civil war. His party made its electoral debut in 2016 and scored a little more than one per cent. Since then, NTK’s vote percentage has been on the rise -- 3.90 per cent in 2019, 6.58 per cent in 2021, and 8.10 per cent in 2024, signifying the party’s gradual growth in the state. </p><p><strong>TVK:</strong> T K Prabhu is quite popular among TVK cadres due to his constant presence on social media. He is a prominent dentist and implantologist based in Karaikudi. </p>
<p>Karaikudi Assembly constituency in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu has swung between the two Dravidian majors, DMK and AIADMK, and the Congress. </p><p>In 2016 and 2021, Congress candidates K R Ramasamy and S Mangudi emerged victorious and this election the constituency has attained star status with the entry of Naam Tamizhar Katchi chief S Seeman.</p><p><strong>Candidate's profile:</strong> </p><p><strong>Congress:</strong> S Mangudi is a sitting legislator and popular among the people for his good work and accessibility. He rose from the grassroots, having served as the president of Sankarapuram panchayat from 2006 to 2016 and was the Vice President of the Karaikudi District Congress Committee. He won the seat by a margin of 21,589 votes. </p><p><strong>AMMK:</strong> Dherpoki V Pandi is a staunch supporter of AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran and was associated with the AIADMK in the past. Pandi contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Sivaganga constituency and 2021 Assembly elections from Karaikudi. He lost both times. </p>.<p><strong>TVK:</strong> TVK has fielded Prabhu T K as its candidate.</p><p><strong>NTK:</strong> A proponent of Tamil nationalism and a strong advocate for regional autonomy, S Seeman is among the best orators in Tamil Nadu, captivating his audience for hours. Beginning his political career in 2011, months after he was released from jail following his arrest under the National Security Act, Seeman actively campaigned against the DMK-Congress alliance in the Assembly polls, blaming them for the death of innocent civilians in Sri Lankan civil war. His party made its electoral debut in 2016 and scored a little more than one per cent. Since then, NTK’s vote percentage has been on the rise -- 3.90 per cent in 2019, 6.58 per cent in 2021, and 8.10 per cent in 2024, signifying the party’s gradual growth in the state. </p><p><strong>TVK:</strong> T K Prabhu is quite popular among TVK cadres due to his constant presence on social media. He is a prominent dentist and implantologist based in Karaikudi. </p>