Early Life & Education
Sasikanth Senthil was born on March 28, 1979 and belongs to a Scheduled Caste (SC) family in Tamil Nadu. He completed his Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics & Communications) from NIT Tiruchirapally (REC Trichy) in 2000 (MyNeta, Wikipedia).
Administrative Career: In the IAS
Senthil joined the Indian Administrative Service and served in Karnataka between roughly 2009 and 2019, holding various key administrative roles, including district collector. Known for his integrity and efforts to reduce communal tensions, he earned a reputation as a principled bureaucrat (Reddit, Wikipedia). In 2019, he resigned from the IAS, reportedly over disagreements with the government's handling of democratic principles (Reddit, Newslaundry).
Political Career: Entering the Arena
-
Joined Congress: November 2020 (Wikipedia).
-
Became a key strategist in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election, credited with orchestrating Congress’s successful campaign there (Wikipedia, Reddit).
-
In the 2024 Indian general election, he contested from the Tiruvallur (SC) Lok Sabha seat and won with a massive margin of 572,155 votes, receiving over 7.96 lakh votes (around 55–56 %) against his BJP rival (Wikipedia).
Parliamentary Role & Constituency
He commenced his term as MP for Tiruvallur on 25 June 2024, succeeding K. Jeyakumar (Wikipedia). His constituency comprises six assembly segments—Gummidipoondi, Ponneri (SC), Tiruvallur, Poonamallee (SC), Avadi, and Madavaram—regionally diverse and reserved for SC (Wikipedia).
Personal Philosophy & Advocacy
-
Strongly advocates for social justice, emphasizing the plight of the marginalized. He has been vocal against the "creamy layer" concept for reservations, calling it "atrocious" (Newslaundry).
-
During his oath in Lok Sabha, he denounced atrocities against minorities, Dalits, and Adivasis (Newslaundry).
Recent News & Developments
1. Hunger Strike for Education Funds
As of 1 September 2025, Sasikanth Senthil is hospitalized and continuing a hunger strike demanding the release of Rs 2,152 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for Tamil Nadu. His protest began on 29 August 2025, and he remains firm despite doctors’ warnings (The New Indian Express, The News Minute, Deccan Chronicle, Deccan Herald).
He emphasized that stopping funds for children is a "crime", warning that withholding these allocations could push 43 lakh students and 2.2 lakh teachers out of the education system (Deccan Chronicle).
Even after hospitalization and rising blood pressure, Senthil declared he would only end his fast once the Central government releases the funds, calling the withholding an attack on federalism. He appealed for the issue to be resolved without political bias or linguistic imposition (The News Minute).
2. Dharmasthala Controversy
In August 2025, BJP MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy accused Senthil of being part of a conspiracy targeting Dharmasthala, a significant pilgrimage center (Deccan Herald, Vijay Karnataka). Senthil swiftly denied the allegations, calling them “ridiculous” and politically motivated, stating the controversy would be better handled by the Congress-led government without external plotting (The Times of India, Vijay Karnataka).
Profile Summary
Category | Details |
---|---|
Name | Sasikanth Senthil |
Date of Birth | 28 March 1979 |
Education | B.E. in ECE, NIT Trichy (2000) |
IAS Career | 2009–2019, Karnataka |
Political Entry | Joined Congress, Nov 2020 |
Electoral Victory | MP from Tiruvallur (SC), 2024; margin ~5.72 lakh votes |
Parliament Tenure | Started 25 June 2024 |
Key Issues | Social justice, SSA education funds |
Current Update | On hunger strike (from 29 Aug 2025), hospitalized, demanding SSA release |
Controversy | Denied involvement in Dharmasthala case plot |
Top Interesting Facts
-
From Bureaucracy to Ballot: Resigned from IAS in 2019 over ideological divergence and joined politics in 2020.
-
Strategic Asset: Played a significant strategic role in Congress’s Karnataka Assembly win in 2023.
-
Record Victory: Won Tiruvallur seat with the largest margin in Tamil Nadu in 2024.
-
Principled Protest: Continues hunger strike in hospital to fight for children's education.
-
Unblemished Record: Declared no criminal cases and had moderate assets, as per election affidavit (MyNeta).
FAQs
Q1: Who is Sasikanth Senthil?
A1: A former IAS officer turned politician, now serving as the MP for Tiruvallur (SC), Tamil Nadu, representing the Indian National Congress.
Q2: Why did he resign from the IAS?
A2: Reports suggest ideological disagreements, including protest over Article 370's abrogation and democratic norms.
Q3: What are his educational qualifications?
A3: He holds a B.E. in Electronics & Communications from NIT Trichy (2000).
Q4: What was the margin of his 2024 election win?
A4: He won by over 572,155 votes, one of the largest margins in Tamil Nadu's 2024 Lok Sabha election (Wikipedia).
Q5: What is his current protest about?
A5: Since 29 August 2025, he’s on a hunger strike demanding the Central government release Rs 2,152 crore owed to Tamil Nadu under the SSA. He’s hospitalized but resolute (The New Indian Express, The News Minute, Deccan Chronicle, Deccan Herald).
Q6: What's the Dharmasthala controversy?
A6: BJP’s Gali Janardhan Reddy accused Senthil of involvement in a conspiracy against Dharmasthala. Senthil strongly denied these claims, calling them politically motivated and baseless (The Times of India, Vijay Karnataka).
Q7: Does he have a record of criminal charges?
A7: No. His affidavit showed no criminal cases, assets worth approximately ₹2.21 crore, and increasing income over the years (MyNeta).
Q8: Why is his protest significant?
A8: He is standing up for the constitutional right to education, highlighting federalism and criticizing fund withholding as an unjust political tool (The News Minute, Deccan Chronicle).
Comments
Post a Comment