Questions are being raised over the eligibility of Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar MLA M.R. Pallavi, who was elected on a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ticket from the Scheduled Caste-reserved constituency in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The issue stems from claims originating from photographs on social media pointing to the fact that Pallavi is a practising Christian. Under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, Scheduled Caste reservation benefits are restricted to individuals professing Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism. Individuals from Scheduled Caste communities who convert to Christianity are not eligible for Scheduled Caste reservation benefits and are generally classified under the Backward Classes (BC) or Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories in Tamil Nadu.
This has led to questions about how Pallavi was able to contest and win from a constituency reserved exclusively for Scheduled Caste candidates.
Under Election Commission of India rules, candidates contesting from Scheduled Caste-reserved constituencies are required to submit a valid government-issued Scheduled Caste certificate along with their nomination papers. The documents are scrutinised by the Returning Officer during the nomination process, and rival candidates and political parties are given an opportunity to raise objections if discrepancies are found.
Pallavi’s nomination as a Hindu was accepted by election authorities and she subsequently contested and won the election from Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar, an Assembly constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes; given the pictures that are circulating, it makes for a potential case of a crypto Christian – a converted Christian masquerading as a Hindu and lapping up all the benefits given by the state for a SC Hindu.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
Thiruvika Nagar MLA M.R. Pallavi (TVK) is a Christian who contested and won from the SC Reserved Constituency!
How did a Christian candidate claim the Scheduled Caste reserved seat meant for Dalit representation? Is this not a clear misuse of reservation… pic.twitter.com/esaE7IEeMf
— ThamiZh (@ThamizhTharmar) June 21, 2026
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