CHENNAI: Making a direct appeal to voters, Vijay on Sunday said “give me one chance” as he unveiled the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s candidates for all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 30 in Puducherry, and announced that he would contest from Perambur and Tiruchy East.
Positioning the election as a straight fight with the DMK led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, Vijay said the contest would be between people-backed forces and those in power, dismissing doubts over his party’s electoral strength.
“This is not a meeting to introduce candidates, but to present the protectors of Tamil Nadu’s people,” he said, asserting that all nominees were drawn from modest backgrounds and chosen for their grassroots connect.
Setting out his criteria, Vijay said an MLA must be accountable and accessible. “They should not misuse power for personal gain, run illegal operations or intimidate the press. They must function as guardians of their constituencies,” he said, adding that he had personally vetted every candidate. “I cannot be in all constituencies at once; my candidates will be my voice among the people,” he said.
Joseph Vijay rejected suggestions that crowds would not convert into votes and framed the contest as bipolar. “Those questioning our influence will see that this is a two-front contest, between us, aligned with the people, and Stalin sir’s alliance,” he said, describing the ruling front as a stitched alliance.
In a key moment, Vijay administered a pledge, with candidates repeating after him. “I will contest only for the people. I will not touch public money. I will ensure women’s safety, work towards a drug-free Tamil Nadu, uphold law and order, and never act against the people,” he said, calling it not just a pledge, but a guarantee.
Casting the election in broader terms, Vijay said, “This is a battle between ordinary citizens and those who serve power; between the poor and those who deceive; between labour and those who exploit it.” He added, “It’s a healthy democratic battle between Vijay and Stalin sir.”
Among key candidates, Vijay himself will contest in Perambur and Tiruchy East. Senior leader K A Sengottaiyan has been fielded from Gobichettipalayam, while former AIADMK MLA V S Babu, who recently joined the party, will contest from Kolathur against the Chief Minister. D Selvam, a former TNCC functionary who joined TVK days ago, has been nominated from Chepauk, where Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin is contesting.
The party has deployed several prominent faces in Chennai constituencies, underlining its urban focus. At the same time, the selection has sparked disquiet within sections of the cadre, as a number of recent entrants and leaders from other parties have been preferred over long-time workers.
Appealing for support, Vijay said, “Voting for my candidates is like voting for yourselves. Give TVK one chance for Tamil Nadu’s future.” He urged voters to back the party’s ‘Whistle’ symbol, expressing confidence that the results would mark a decisive breakthrough for the party across the State.
Perambur and Tiruchy East : C Joseph Vijay
T Nagar : N Anand
Mylapore : P Venkatramanan
Villivakkam : Aadhav Arjuna
Gobichettipalayam : K A Sengottaiyan
Tiruchengode : K G Arunraj
Tiruparankundram : CTR Nirmal Kumar
Kumarapalayam : C Vijayalakshmi
Thittakudi : A Rajasekar
Saidapet : M Arul Prakasam
Valparai : Dr A Sridharan
Egmore : A Rajmohan
Lalkudi : K P Krishnan
Tiruppur North : V Sathyabama
Thousand Lights : JCD Prabhakar
Kolathur : V S Babu
R K Nagar : N Maria Wilson
Gummidipoondi : S Vijayakumar
Ponneri : M S Ravi
Tiruttani : M Sathyakumar
Tiruvallur : T Arunkumar
Poonamallee : R Prakasam
Avadi : A Ramesh Kumar
Maduravoyal : P Revanth Charan
Ambattur : G Balamurugan
Madhavaram : M L Vijay Prabhu
Tiruvottiyur : M Senthilkumar
Thiru Vi Ka Nagar : M R Pallavi
Royapuram : K V Vijay Dhamu
Harbour : P Ashok
Chepauk : D Selvam
Anna Nagar : V K Ramkumar
Virugambakkam : R Sabarinathan
Velachery : R Kumar
Sholinganallur : P Saravanamoorthy
Alandur : M Harish
Sriperumbudur: K Thennarasu
Pallavaram : J Kamatchi
Tambaram : D Sarathkumar
Chengalpattu : S Thiagarajan
Thiruporur : B Vijayaraj