2026 TN elections | Around 6,200 nomination papers filed across State; scrutiny on April 7

CHENNAI: Nearly 6,000 nomination papers have been filed across Tamil Nadu for the upcoming Assembly election, with scrutiny scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Prominent candidates who have filed nominations include Chief Minister MK Stalin, Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, TVK leader Vijay, and NTK leader Seeman.

Of the total nominations, 4,506 were filed by men, 1,055 by women, and two by third-gender candidates. Election officials noted that a candidate can file up to four nomination papers to avoid rejection on technical grounds.

Among constituencies, Karur recorded the highest number of nominations with 96, followed by Thondamuthur (62) and Gobichettipalayam (44). On the lower side, Kurinjipadi and Manamadurai reported just five nominations each.

During scrutiny, returning officers (ROs) will examine all applications and accept only valid nominations, rejecting those that fail to meet the requirements.

Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until April 9.

Polling for the Assembly election is scheduled for April 23, and the counting of votes will take place on May 4.

BJP, DMDK leaders complete formalities

Meanwhile, a battery of senior leaders from the BJP and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam filed their nomination papers across Tamil Nadu on Monday, marking a coordinated show of strength on the final day of the filing process for the Assembly elections.

Union Minister L Murugan filed his nomination from Avinashi in the presence of Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, while Tamilisai Soundararajan submitted her papers, accompanied by Union Minister Piyush Goyal. In Coimbatore North, Vanathi Srinivasan filed her nomination with Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and former state chief K Annamalai by her side.

State president Nainar Nagenthran filed from Sattur in the presence of Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. Several other candidates, including MR Gandhi (Nagercoil), S Vijayadharani (Vilavancode) and Raama Sreenivasan (Madurai South), filed nominations alongside senior national leaders.

In the southern and western belts, BJP functionaries said the presence of central leaders reflects the party's seriousness and organisational depth in the State.

Meanwhile, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth filed her nomination from Vridhachalam, asserting that the alliance is confident of a strong performance.

450 candidates in fray in Coimbatore

Several prominent candidates from DMK, AIADMK and BJP filed their nominations in the Western districts on Monday to contest the upcoming Assembly polls.

In Coimbatore, DMK’s V Senthil Balaji, AIADMK’s SP Velumani and BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan filed their nominations by holding road shows and processions with party workers.

Former BJP state president K Annamalai accompanied SP Velumani and Vanathi Srinivasan when they filed their papers to contest in Thondamuthur and Coimbatore North constituencies. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma also accompanied Vanathi as she arrived in a procession.

Speaking to the media, Sharma said the enthusiasm among the public indicated a strong wave in favour of the NDA. “The NDA is poised for a decisive victory,” he said, while also criticising the DMK for being corrupt amidst growing dissatisfaction among the public.

Of the total 450 candidates entering the fray from the ten assembly constituencies in Coimbatore, the Thondamuthur constituency, where SP Velumani is contesting, recorded the highest number with 77 candidates, and is followed by 61 candidates in Coimbatore South.

PMK candidate Sowmiya Anbumani, who filed her nomination to contest from the Dharmapuri constituency, has declared assets worth Rs 65.94 crore in her affidavit. She also had declared liabilities amounting to Rs 8.99 crore.