Chennai, March 28 – The ruling DMK on Saturday announced the names of its candidates for 164 constituencies in the April 23 assembly elections, renomining Chief Minister M K Stalin and his son, Udhayanidhi, from their existing city seats, setting the stage for a direct contest with its archrival, AIADMK, in several constituencies.
After concluding days of discussions with allies, including the Congress and Left parties, the DMK finalized the allocation of seats. Shortly thereafter, at a press conference at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, Stalin announced the names of his party's 164 candidates.
Stalin dismissed any delay in the seat-sharing talks, stating that "patient discussions" have ensured everyone's satisfaction. He also emphasized the importance of unity within the alliance.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has been critical of the DMK, claiming that delays in seat-sharing discussions have hampered their preparations. He asserts that his party has taken the lead and is now in campaign mode after finalizing all arrangements.
Besides the 164 seats allocated to the DMK, 11 candidates from alliance parties, including those from Vaiko-led MDMK, will contest on the ruling party's "Rising Sun" symbol, effectively increasing the party's electoral prospects to 175 constituencies.
The 234 assembly seats in the state will go to the polls on April 23.
On Saturday, Stalin retained most of his 33 cabinet ministers and senior MLAs. He fielded over 60 individuals in their maiden electoral campaigns, including doctors, engineers, and Ph.D. holders. Moreover, 18 women are contesting on behalf of the ruling party.
Stalin, the president of the ruling DMK, has announced that he will contest again from Kolathur. Udhayanidhi is seeking re-election from Chepauk-Triplicane, also in the city.
Ministers Durai Murugan (DMK general secretary), K N Nehru, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Thangam Thennarasu, Ma Subramanian, and EV Velu have been retained in their positions.
Interestingly, expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, who recently joined the DMK, has been fielded from Bodinayakkanur, the constituency he previously represented in the outgoing assembly. He resigned from his MLA position upon joining the DMK.
Two of Panneerselvam's colleagues, Paul Manoj Pandian and R Vaithilingam, who had earlier joined the DMK, have also been given poll tickets.
Another significant move is the shift of former Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji from his stronghold of Karur to Coimbatore South. This strategic move by the DMK aims to strengthen its presence in Coimbatore and surrounding regions, which are traditionally a stronghold of the AIADMK. The AIADMK is contesting in this city segment, currently represented by BJP Mahila Morcha chief Vanathi Srinivasan.
Earlier in the day, the DMK completed the seat-sharing process with its allies, finalizing the constituencies to be contested by the Congress, Left parties, VCK and DMDK, among others. The DMK leads the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the state.
Key ally Congress has been allocated 28 seats, including Ponneri, Erode East, Vilavankode, Sivakasi, and Karaikudi.
The DMDK, led by Premalatha Vijayakanth, has been allocated 10 seats, including Vriddhachalam and Pallavaram. Vriddhachalam was previously represented by the late Vijayakanth, the party's founder.
The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), led by Thol Thirumavalvan, will contest from eight constituencies, including Kattumannarkoil, Panrutti, and Tindivanam.
The CPI(M) has been allocated Padmanabhapuram and Palani, while the CPI will contest from Thalli and Bhavanisagar (SC), among other constituencies. Both Left parties have been allocated five seats each.
The DMK has also finalized seat allocations for other allies, including the Vaiko-led MDMK, which will contest in four constituencies, including three on the DMK's "Rising Sun" symbol, with Madurai South being one of them.
Speaking to reporters, Stalin announced that the party's election manifesto would be released on Sunday.
The DMK's candidates are being portrayed as "victorious candidates," and the party aims to form its "2.0" government after the elections. "This is certain," Stalin emphatically stated.
With the DMK-led SPA finalizing the seat-sharing process, the political landscape is becoming increasingly clear.
The AIADMK, which leads the opposition NDA bloc, has announced contesting from 169 seats, with some of its allies also contesting on its "Two Leaves" symbol. Of these 169 seats, the party has already announced candidates for 150.
Among the key direct contests will be the one between Edappadi, Palaniswami's native constituency, and Kasi, who is contesting on behalf of the DMK. Similar battles are also expected in Tiruchirappalli, Tiruverumbur, Tambaram, and Katpadi, among other constituencies.