S. Keerthana
S. Keerthana | |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Minister Government of Tamil Nadu | |
| Assumed office 10 May 2026 | |
| Minister | Industries |
| Governor | R. V. Arlekar |
| Chief Minister | C. Joseph Vijay |
| Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 11 May 2026 | |
| Preceded by | A. M. S. G. Ashokan |
| Constituency | Sivakasi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1996 (age 29–30) Virudhunagar |
| Party | Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam |
| Occupation | Politician |
Sampath Keerthana (born 1996) is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu. She is currently the Minister for Industries in Government of Tamil Nadu and a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district representing the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.[1] She was sworn in as the youngest minister in Vijay's cabinet on 10 May 2026.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Keerthana was born in 1996 into a Gavara Naidu family in Kovilangulam village, near Aruppukkottai, Virudhunagar district.[3] She is the daughter of Sampath.[4] After doing her schooling in a government school in Tamil medium, she completed her B.Sc. in mathematics at a college affiliated with Madurai Kamaraj University and later did M.Sc in statistics in 2019 at Pondicherry Central University.[5][4][2]
Career
[edit]Before entering politics, Keerthana, worked as a political consultant and collaborated with several political leaders, including M. K. Stalin, Mamata Banerjee and N. Chandrababu Naidu.[6][7][8]
Keerthana became an MLA for the first time winning her debut 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Sivakasi Assembly constituency representing the TVK Party. She polled 68,809 votes and defeated her nearest rival, Ashokan G of the Indian National Congress, by a margin of 11,670 votes.[9][10]
Elections Contested and Results
[edit]| Elections | Constituency | Result | Vote % | Opposition Candidate | Opposition Party | Opposition vote % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sivakasi | Won | 35.51% | A. M. S. G. Ashokan | INC | 29.47% |
Controversies
[edit]After the victory in the 2026 election, she was in a spotlight when she spoke in Hindi during some public interactions but she defended herself and stated that her goal was to help a wider audience connect with Vijay’s message.[11]
Keerthana faced criticism for using the Tamil term "Oonamutror" while referring to persons with disabilities during a media interaction. She later apologized for the remarks on 13 May 2026.[12]
Keerthana faced criticism following the circulation of a video showing her smiling during a media interaction related to the Coimbatore child assault-murder. BJP leaders alleged that her conduct was insensitive and that she appeared dismissive while responding to questions on the killing.[13][14][15]
During a visit to a government school near Sivakasi, a video of Keerthana interacting with students went viral. Opposition parties, including the DMK and BJP, accused her of publicly humiliating a young student over her English proficiency. Critics labeled her a "Reels Minister" and accused her of using schoolchildren as props for publicity. A DMK MP even wrote to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, alleging the unauthorized disclosure of a minor's identity
References
[edit]- ↑ Srimathi, Geetha (4 May 2026). "No wins for women candidates of DMK, BJP; TVK's newcomers unseat veterans". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- 1 2 Gupta, Apoorva (10 May 2026). "200 Units Of Free Electricity, Special Force For Women's Safety: CM Vijay's First Orders". ABP Live. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ Venugopal, Vasudha (10 May 2026). "Meet S Keerthana, The Youngest MLA In Vijay's Cabinet Who Speaks 5 Languages". NDTV. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Keerthana S (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam): Constituency- Sivakasi (Virudhunagar) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". www.myneta.info.
- ↑ "Keerthana S, Sivakasi constituency, TVK, Tamilnadu Assembly Election 2026: Profile & Affidavit". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "Meet S Keerthana, The Youngest MLA In Vijay's Cabinet Who Speaks 5 Languages". NDTV.com. 10 May 2026.
- ↑ Today, Telangana (11 May 2026). "From political strategist to minister: TVK Keerthana's rapid rise in TN politics". Telangana Today. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "Who is S Keerthana, the youngest member in 'Thalapathy' Vijay's TVK cabinet". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sivakasi election results 2026: Keerthana S of TVK wins, Congress' Ashokan G finishes second". The Times of India. 4 May 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sivakasi Election Result 2026 Live: TVK's Keerthana S defeats INC's Ashokan G with 11670 votes". India Today. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ↑ "Meet S Keerthana, youngest minister in Vijay's Cabinet and a fluent Hindi speaker". India Today. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tamil Nadu Minister Keerthana apologises for remarks on persons with disability". The Hindu. 13 May 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "Coimbatore girl rape-murder: Cops caught grinning during media briefing, video sparks fury online". The Times of India. 25 May 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ Staff, T. N. M. (24 May 2026). "Minister Keerthana reacts to criticism of her response on Coimbatore child assault-murder". The News Minute. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ Madhav, Pramod (25 May 2026). "Insensitive: BJP slams TVK Minister for 'smiling' over Coimbatore girl's murder". India Today. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
