DMK Announces Candidates for Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, Stalin to Contest from Kolathur

Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the principal party of the Secular Progressive Alliance, has announced its list of candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, with the party aiming to secure a consecutive second term in power. The list was released on Saturday by DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin, and features a formidable lineup that includes the party's senior leaders.

Chief Minister M K Stalin will once again seek a mandate from his sitting constituency of Kolathur — marking his fourth consecutive contest from the seat. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin will contest from the Chepauk-Triplicane constituency. Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has been fielded from Bodinayakanur, while former minister Senthil Balaji will contest from Coimbatore South. Announcing the list, Stalin expressed confidence that DMK 2.0 is on its way, declaring that all the party's candidates have already won in the hearts of the people.

IT Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan will contest from the Madurai Central constituency, and Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu from the Tiruchuli constituency in Virudhunagar district. Several sitting ministers, including Duraimurugan (also DMK General Secretary), K.N. Nehru, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, M. Subramanian, and E.V. Velu, will defend their respective sitting seats.

More than 60 new faces have been fielded by the party in this election cycle. Speaking at a press conference held at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, Stalin stated that there would be no undue delay in finalising seat-sharing arrangements, but that adequate time was necessary to hold patient and constructive discussions with alliance partners.

The seat-sharing arrangement for the 234-member Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is as follows: DMK will directly contest 164 seats, while the remaining seats have been allocated among alliance partners — Congress has been allotted 28 seats, DMDK 10 seats, VCK 8 seats, and CPI and CPI(M) five seats each.

Nomination papers for the assembly elections may be filed between March 30 and April 6. Polling is scheduled for April 23, and votes will be counted on May 4.