K. M. Vallatharasu

K. Muthuswamy Vallatharasu (12 June 1901 – 30 July 1968) was an Indian lawyer, politician, and participant in the Indian independence movement. He was associated with social reform initiatives and served as a member of parliament from Tamil Nadu.

Early life and education Muthuswamy Vallatharasu was born on 12 June 1901 in Koppampatti in the Pudukkottai region of present-day Tamil Nadu (then part of the Madras Presidency). He pursued education at H. H. The Rajah's College in Pudukkottai, St. Joseph's College in Tiruchirappalli, and the Government Law College in Thiruvananthapuram, eventually qualifying as a lawyer. He was a co-founder of the "Erode Samadharma Project" in 1933, alongside figures like Singaravelar, Periyar, and Jeeva, which aimed to promote social equality. Vallatharasu joined the Indian National Congress in the mid-1930s and rose to prominence as a leader in his region. In 1936, he was elected as a member of the local municipality, where he served for four years. For this action, he was imprisoned for two and a half years, serving time in Thanjavur and Vellore jails. In 1957 Indian general election, he contested from 2 constituencies - Pudukkottai and Thanjavur and came second in both of them. He contested 1962 Indian general election from Thanjavur and lost.