CHENNAI: Nearly a month after finalising its alliance with the DMK, the Congress finally managed to release its list of candidates for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Friday, just ahead of the April 6 nomination deadline. Well, almost.
The party, however, has withheld its nominee for the Melur constituency in Madurai, revealing unresolved internal differences.
Most senior leaders have been re-nominated from their sitting seats – TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai from Sriperumbudur (SC), Congress Legislature Party leader S Rajesh Kumar from Killiyoor, JMH Aassan Maulaana from Velachery, and Ruby Manoharan from Nanguneri.
However, it has dropped three sitting MLAs and nominated new faces in their constituencies and also gave away two of its sitting seats to alliance partners.
R Ganesh (Udhagamandalam), three-time MLA JG Prince (Colachel), and S Rajkumar (Mayiladuthurai), all elected in 2021, were dropped. R Radhakrishnan from Vriddhachalam and S Palani Nadar from Tenkasi, too, had to sit out, as their constituencies were allotted to alliance partners in the DMK-led front.
The list also reflects the induction of new faces. Veteran PMK leader GK Mani’s son GKM Tamil Kumaran, who recently joined the Congress, has been fielded from Pennagaram. Youth Congress president KP Surya Prakash will contest from Kavundampalayam.
Of the 27 candidates, two are women - Srinidhi Naidu (Singanallur) and Dr Tharagai Cuthbert (Colachel), who won from Vilavancode seat in the 2024 bypoll.
Not surprisingly, the suspense over Melur has drawn more attention, as it signalled continuing differences within the party.
Sources indicated that disagreements were persisting within the leadership, particularly involving the camp led by Karti P Chidambaram, which is seeking a stronger presence in the Sivaganga region. The demand for the Sivaganga constituency instead of Melur is learnt to have delayed a final decision.
Meanwhile, Karur MP S Jothimani expressed mixed reactions to the candidate list, welcoming the re-nomination of 12 sitting MLAs but raising serious concerns over the alleged neglect of grassroots workers, and lack of social representation.
Ponneri (SC) – Durai Chandrasekar
Velachery – JMH Aassan Maulaana
Sriperumbudur (SC) – K Selvaperunthagai
Sholingur – AM Munirathnam
Uthangarai (SC) – R Kuppu Saamy
Krishnagiri – Dr A Chella Kumar
Pennagaram – GKM Tamil Kumaran
Attur (SC) – SK Arthanari
Erode (East) – Gopinath Palaniyappan
Udhagamandalam – B Ramachandran
Kavundampalayam – KP Surya Prakash
Singanallur – V Shrinithi Naidu
Thuraiyur (SC) – M Vichu Lenin Prasath
Cuddalore – AS Chandrasekaran
Mayiladuthurai – Jamal Yunus Mohammed
Aranthangi – T Rama Chandhiran
Karaikudi – S Mangudi
Usilampatti – T Saravana Kumar
Sivakasi – Ganesan Ashokan
Tiruvadana – Rama Karumanickam
Srivaikuntam – S Oorvashi Amirtharaj
Sankarankovil (SC) – Sangai Ganeshan
Ambasamudram – VP Durai
Nanguneri – Ruby Manoharan
Colachel – Dr Tharagai Cuthbert
Vilavancode – TT Praveen
Killiyoor – S Rajesh Kumar