R Sabarinathan, the son of TVK chief Vijay’s former driver Rajendran, has come into focus during Tamil Nadu Assembly elections after Election Commission trends showed him leading in the Virugambakkam constituency in Chennai on Monday. He contested on a ticket from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, the party founded by actor-politician Vijay.
Sabarinathan, 30, has a long association with Vijay’s household through his father, who worked as the actor’s driver and personal assistant since the beginning of his film career. Earlier, a viral emotional moment that resurfaced during the election campaign.
Thalapathy Vijay give ticket own driver son ! Now winning the seats 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/svLei3lgMs
— Ashish Singh (@AshishSinghKiJi) May 4, 2026 Emotional moment during election campaign
During a candidate announcement event held earlier this year, Sabarinathan broke down on stage while Vijay was present. The actor comforted him and supported him in front of the gathering. A video of the moment went viral on social media.
The clip became a talking point among TVK supporters and political observers. It was used in discussions around internal loyalty within the party and the close circle around Vijay.
R Sabarinathan’s entry into politics
Sabarinathan’s entry into politics followed discussions within his family and with Vijay. His father initially preferred a professional career path for him outside politics. However, Sabarinathan expressed interest in joining public life and eventually received support from Vijay after internal conversations.
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He later became part of TVK’s organisational structure and returned to Chennai in 2024 to work actively in the party, reported PTI. The party then fielded him from Virugambakkam, a constituency known for close electoral contests between major political forces.
Counting of postal ballots started at 8 am, followed by Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counting from 8.30 am. Officials updated round-wise trends through the Election Commission portal and ECINET platform.
Counting trends showed him ahead of the candidate from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, placing him in a competitive position in the urban seat.
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