Star Candidate: Vijay Vasanth/ CONGRESS

KANNIYAKUMARI: Vijayakumar aka Vijay Vasanth, businessman-politician and the sitting MP of Kanniyakumari constituency, running for a second term donned multiple caps. Elected to the Lok Sabha from Kanniyakumari in a bye-election necessitated by the death of his Parliamentarian-father H Vasanthakumar in 2021, 40-year-old Vijay Vasanath is considered a blue-eyed boy of the AICC, partly because of the influence his father had cultivated and also how he conducted himself.

Such was his popularity in the AICC upper echelons that Vijay was among the very few names considered a definite possibility in the Congress candidate list in the state long before its national leadership released it on the penultimate day of filing of nominations. On this front, he carries on the legacy of his father, who had clout with the Congress high command.

An erstwhile actor, Vijay became a familiar name among Tamil movie buffs over a decade ago through the runaway hit “Chennai 600028” he featured in. After inheriting his late father’s retail home appliances sales firm, Vasanth and Co, he is eyeing re-election from Kanniyakumari. Pitted against an experienced BJP veteran Pon Radhakrishnan, Vijay has the task of defending the only LS seat that holds sway over the two Dravidian majors, in favour of national parties.

Businessman-politician Vijay is a commerce graduate from Madras University. He also holds a Masters in International Business Administration from a ‘B’ school in London and one among the many crorepatis in the poll fray. His strong ties with the DMK top brass could be a shot in the arm for seeking to secure his first full term as an MP.