Home News ‘Thooya Sakthi’ Or ‘Poli Sakthi’? TVK’s “Educated MLA” Narrative Falls Apart As...

‘Thooya Sakthi’ Or ‘Poli Sakthi’? TVK’s “Educated MLA” Narrative Falls Apart As Bogus Degrees And Dubious Doctorates Surface

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The Commune
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‘Thooya Sakthi’ Or ‘Poli Sakthi’? TVK’s “Educated MLA” Narrative Falls Apart As Bogus Degrees And Dubious Doctorates Surface

After claims of ‘humble/poor’ backgrounds of TVK MLAs fell apart within days of forming the government, now the claims of their educational qualifications are also falling like a pack of cards.

Serious questions are now being raised over the educational credentials claimed by several first-time MLAs of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), with multiple discrepancies emerging between official election affidavits and the qualifications projected in campaign material, social media profiles and public posters.

The controversy centres around allegations that several TVK legislators used inflated academic claims, unverified qualifications and even honorary “doctorate” titles despite lacking recognised doctoral degrees, as reported in DT Next.

The issue has gained traction after social media users, researchers and public commentators began comparing the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission with the public image projected by various MLAs during the campaign.

The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny over unrecognised institutions allegedly selling honorary doctorates through private ceremonies and paid events. Earlier investigations had revealed that such organisations offered honorary titles for amounts ranging from ₹15,000 to ₹45,000, allowing recipients to use the “Dr” prefix despite holding no recognised doctoral qualification.

Kavundampalayam MLA Kanimozhi

Among those facing scrutiny is Kanimozhi Santhosh, the TVK MLA from Kavundampalayam. Her election affidavit reportedly stated that she had completed a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degree, but she allegedly projected herself publicly as “Dr. Kanimozhi Santhosh” across campaign material and social media platforms.

She even got awards and certificates issued under the name “Mahatma Gandhi Desh Seva Purashkar” carried registration details of a private NGO, creating the impression that the award had central government backing. She also faced backlash over controversial statements related to astrology and skin colour that resurfaced online.

The honorary doctorate she received came from a so-called “International Peace University”, which allegedly has no recognised academic standing and whose listed address reportedly points to a residential property in the United States.

Virudhunagar MLA SP Selvam

Virudhunagar MLA S. P. Selvam also came under scrutiny after using the “Dr” prefix in public despite his affidavit reportedly showing only a Diploma in Civil Engineering qualification.

Avadi MLA R. Ramesh Kumar

Similar criticism was directed at Avadi MLA R. Ramesh Kumar, who allegedly used the “Dr” title despite holding only a BA degree.

Tambaram MLA D. Sarath Kumar

Questions were also raised over Tambaram MLA D. Sarath Kumar, who was allegedly projected during the election campaign as an MBA graduate. However, his election affidavit reportedly mentioned only a BBA degree from MM Jain College in Chennai. The college name itself had been incorrectly listed in the affidavit. There is only an AM Jain College in Tambaram.

Polur MLA R. Abhishek

Polur MLA R. Abhishek was also accused of exaggerating his qualifications. Campaign publicity and social media descriptions reportedly projected him as “MS, MBA”, while his affidavit mentioned only an integrated software engineering degree from VIT Chennai and contained no MBA qualification.

Kumarapalayam MLA C. Vijayalakshmi

In another case, Kumarapalayam MLA C. Vijayalakshmi allegedly appeared in campaign material as a BCom graduate even though her election affidavit reportedly stated that she had studied only up to Class XII. Some claimed she had pursued the course without completing the degree.

Thanjavur MLA Vijay Saravanan

Tanjavur MLA Vijay Saravanan also reportedly faced allegations of falsely projecting himself as a BBA graduate despite having studied only up to Class X.

Ambattur MLA G. Balamurugan

Ambattur MLA G. Balamurugan allegedly advertised technical diploma qualifications during the campaign, while his affidavit reportedly mentioned only SSLC and an ADCA computer certification course.

 

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Egmore MLA & Education Minister Rajmohan

The controversy has even extended to School Education Minister A. Rajmohan. In his election affidavit, Rajmohan reportedly declared that he completed a business management diploma in 2010 from the “Indian Institute of Business Management and Technology”. It is noteworthy that the institute lacked recognition from any government authority.

Researcher A Shankar Prakash, who has repeatedly campaigned against fake honorary doctorates, reportedly argued that politicians purchasing such titles from unrecognised institutions were “willing partners in misleading the public”. He said public representatives had a responsibility to be transparent about their qualifications and alleged that several discrepancies existed between election affidavits and public projections.

According to party insiders, the TVK candidate selection process was carried out under intense time pressure, with multiple last-minute changes before the final candidate list was announced. A senior party leader reportedly claimed that the party focused primarily on identifying electorally strong candidates and did not independently verify every public claim made by them, while insisting that all candidates had disclosed their educational qualifications in their official affidavits.

The controversy has further intensified after TVK and its supporters initially celebrated the educational profile of the party’s legislators after forming the government. It had earlier been claimed that 63% of TVK’s 108 MLAs were graduates, including several PhD holders, IIT graduates, engineers, lawyers and doctors. However, independent scrutiny by researchers and online commentators has now raised questions over how many of those claims were exaggerated, misleading or based on dubious honorary titles rather than recognised academic qualifications.

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