Chennai, March 29 – TVK chief Vijay announced the party’s candidate lineup for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Sunday, blending grassroots loyalty and experience drawn from Dravidian parties.
Vijay himself will contest from two seats, Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli East, directly challenging the DMK in urban areas.
The DMK has fielded R D Sekar from Perambur and retained Inigo Iruthayaraj in Tiruchirappalli East. At the event organized by TVK on Sunday to introduce the candidates, Vijay reiterated that the fight is between TVK, which he calls the "people's alliance," and the DMK.
While AIADMK has allocated the Perambur seat to its ally, PMK, led by Anbumani Ramadoss, in Tiruchirappalli East, it will field a new candidate, G Rajasekaran.
Analysts say that by choosing Tiruchirappalli East as his second constituency, Vijay is focusing on a central Tamil Nadu hub that has historically been a key indicator of state political trends.
Party General Secretary and former Puducherry MLA, 'Bussy' N Anand, who is considered Vijay's close advisor, will contest from T Nagar, while Aadhav Arjuna, who manages the party's election campaign, has been fielded from Villivakkam.
In the high-stakes T Nagar constituency, Anand is set to face a strong challenge from both the DMK and AIADMK.
The DMK has fielded Raja Anbazhagan, the son of late veteran leader J Anbazhagan, while AIADMK has nominated former MLA B Sathyanarayanan, commonly known as T Nagar Sathya.
In the Villivakkam constituency, a working-class area, Arjuna will be part of a complex triangular contest. The DMK has fielded Karthik Mohan, the son of sitting Anna Nagar legislator M K Mohan, while AIADMK has nominated former MP S R Vijayakumar.
TVK has chosen C T R Nirmal Kumar, who previously worked for the BJP and AIADMK, to contest from Thiruparankundram, which will also see a high-profile triangular battle. Kumar, a former BJP IT wing chief, is seen as a key figure in building TVK's narrative, providing the party with its anti-corruption platform.
AIADMK has re-nominated its sitting legislator and veteran leader V V Rajan Chellappa in Thirupparankundram, which has become a focal point of state political discourse following the 'deepathoon' controversy. However, the DMK has chosen a relatively new candidate, Kiruthiga Thangapandi, who gained a reputation for addressing grassroots issues and basic infrastructure needs during her tenure as a district councillor for Madurai South.
To counter the criticism of political inexperience, TVK has integrated experienced administrators and former leaders from the AIADMK. K A Sengottaiyan, a nine-time legislator and former minister, now chief coordinator of TVK, will contest from his home constituency of Gobichettipalayam.
Interestingly, AIADMK has chosen to field a debutant, V B Prabhu, who rose through the ranks of the student wing. Similarly, the candidacy of former AIADMK minister Ku Pa Krishnan from Lalgudi and J C D Prabhakar from Thousand Lights suggests that Vijay is successfully incorporating seasoned leaders who bring their own local influence and support.
By choosing former Indian Revenue Service officer R Arunraaj, TVK has turned the Tiruchengode constituency into another high-profile contest. Arunraaj recently retired from service to join the party and has been appointed as the party's general secretary for propaganda and policy.
The DMK has once again allocated this seat to its ally, the Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi. The incumbent legislator E R Eswaran is seeking re-election under the DMK's rising sun symbol. AIADMK has countered this by nominating R Chandrasekar, replacing the 2021 runner-up, as the party looks to revitalize its local organizational machinery. With the entry of Arunraaj, the race has become a prominent three-cornered fight.
The party has fielded V S Babu against Chief Minister M K Stalin in Kolathur and D Selvam, a former Congress leader, against Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. Babu, a veteran in Chennai's political scene, previously served as the MLA for the Purasawalkam constituency representing the DMK in 2006.
TVK is hoping to leverage his deep understanding of the urban geography of North Chennai. Meanwhile, Selvam, a former general secretary of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, brings a seasoned leader to the party.
The party has fielded 26 women candidates. Prominent among them is V Sathyabama, who is also one of the party's most experienced political figures. A former AIADMK MP from the Tiruppur constituency, she brings established organizational strength to the party in the Western Kongu belt. She is tasked with securing Tiruppur North, a vital industrial hub, leveraging her past experience.
N Marie Wilson, managing director of Jeppiar Institute of Technology, will contest from R K Nagar where she faces sitting DMK legislator J John Ebenezer and AIADMK's Jenitha Jeyarani.