In North Chennai, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate KV Vijay Dhamu has won the Royapuram assembly seat in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections. The contest was held on 23 April 2026, and the outcome has now brought a fresh face from a very humble background into political spotlight.
Prior to coming to politics, Vijay Dhamu worked as an auto driver and also operated an auto consulting business. With just an 8th pass educational qualification, he entered the election race.
As per his affidavit, he declared assets worth ₹28.9 lakh and no liabilities.
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The victory becomes more striking because he defeated two well-known political figures: AIADMK leader and former minister D Jayakumar, and DMK candidate Subair Khan, who is the son of former minister Rahman Khan.
A close contest that redefined Royapuram politics
Royapuram in Chennai has long been a politically sensitive and competitive constituency. This latest election continued that tradition but ended with a major shift in voter preference.
The constituency has seen frequent changes between DMK and AIADMK over the years. In 1977, P Ponnurangam from DMK won the seat. Later, R. Mathivanan of DMK also held influence, winning in 1989 and 1996.
AIADMK’s D Jayakumar emerged as a strong force in 1991 and again in 2001. In more recent years, DMK’s Idream R Murthy secured victory in 2021.
The 2026 result however marked different kind of political moment. A candidate from relatively new party and working-class background managed to break through decades of established political dominance.