In this Tamil name, there is no surname or family name. The name Sampath is a patronym, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Keerthana.

S. Keerthana
Cabinet Minister, Government of Tamil Nadu
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 May 2026
Governor R. V. Arlekar
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay
Ministry and Departments TBD
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 May 2026
Preceded by A. M. S. G. Ashokan
Constituency Sivakasi
Personal details
Born 1996 (age 29–30)
Virudhunagar
Party TVK
Occupation Politician

Sampath Keerthana (born 1996) is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu. She is currently a minister in the Tamilnadu government 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

Keerthana was born in 1996 in the 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 University and later did M.Sc in statistics in 2019 at Pondicherry Central University.[5][4][2]

Career

Before entering politics, Keerthana, worked as a political consultant and collaborated with several political leaders, including M. K. Stalin.[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]

Controversies

After S. Keerthana’s victory in the 2026 election, she spoke in Hindi during some public interactions and stated that her goal was to help a wider audience connect with Vijay’s message and to expand the party’s reach nationally and internationally. Her remarks led to discussion and differing reactions in Tamil Nadu, where language policy and the role of Hindi in public life have long been politically sensitive issues.[11]

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ Venugopal, Vasudha (10 May 2026). "Meet S Keerthana, The Youngest MLA In Vijay's Cabinet Who Speaks 5 Languages". NDTV. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Keerthana S (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam): Constituency- Sivakasi (Virudhunagar) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". www.myneta.info.
  5. ^ "Keerthana S, Sivakasi constituency, TVK, Tamilnadu Assembly Election 2026: Profile & Affidavit". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  6. ^ "Meet S Keerthana, The Youngest MLA In Vijay's Cabinet Who Speaks 5 Languages". NDTV.com. 10 May 2026.
  7. ^ Today, Telangana (11 May 2026). "From political strategist to minister: TVK Keerthana's rapid rise in TN politics". Telangana Today. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  8. ^ "Who is S Keerthana, the youngest member in 'Thalapathy' Vijay's TVK cabinet". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "Meet S Keerthana, youngest minister in Vijay's Cabinet and a fluent Hindi speaker". India Today. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 11 May 2026.