Overview
- PTR, who posted a reflective four-page note on Monday, said he will step back for a few weeks and return to public life recharged.
- He lost the Madurai Central seat to TVK candidate Madhar Badhurudeen by 19,128 votes, ending his decade as the constituency’s MLA.
- He said the defeat stemmed from anti-incumbency and asserted he refused to pay voters, adding he was glad to lose to a rival he says did not bribe.
- During the pause he plans to work on a book, accept lecture invites in India and abroad, and focus on his health after turning 60.
- He listed work as finance and IT minister, citing reduced revenue deficits, Madurai infrastructure projects, and CSR-backed school breakfast expansion, while acknowledging TVK now governs under C. Joseph Vijay.