Who is R Sabarinathan? Vijay’s driver’s son secures Virugambakkam seat on TVK ticket

CHENNAI: R Sabarinathan, a 30-year-old candidate of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has emerged as one of the most talked-about winners in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections after securing a decisive victory in the Virugambakkam constituency.Who is R Sabarinathan?Sabarinathan won the seat with 76,092 votes, defeating his nearest rival, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate Prabhakara Raja AMV, by a margin of 27,086 votes. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) nominee Virugai VN Ravi finished third with 38,767 votes.Sabarinathan is the son of Rajendran, who has been closely associated with actor-politician and TVK chief Vijay since his debut film "Naalaiya Theerpu". Rajendran has served as Vijay’s long-time driver and personal aide.Sabarinathan emerged as one of the most talked-about candidates of the Tamil Nadu assembly elections after an emotional video of him breaking down on stage went viral, shortly after his name figured among TVK’s list of candidates.Fielded by TVK in its debut Assembly election, Sabarinathan’s win in Virugambakkam—an urban constituency in Chennai known for frequent electoral swings—added to the party’s strong performance in the state.Speaking after receiving his certificate of election, he said he was “very happy with the win and grateful to Vijay,” acknowledging the party leadership for his political debut.Virugambakkam has witnessed closely contested elections over the past several cycles, with the seat changing hands between major Dravidian parties, making Sabarinathan’s victory a significant political outcome in the region.