2026 TN elections | It’s official, 4,023 candidates to contest Tamil Nadu polls

CHENNAI: A total of 4,023 candidates will contest the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, following the completion of the withdrawal of nominations on Thursday.

Among constituencies, Karur recorded the highest number of candidates at 79, followed by Perambur (47), Kolathur (35) and Paramathi-Velur (31). At the lower end, Ambasamudram saw the least number of candidates at five, while Udhagamandalam, Gudalur and Coonoor had six candidates each.

The nomination process, which began on March 30, saw 7,599 nomination papers filed over four days. During scrutiny, about 2,460 nominations were rejected owing to invalid or incomplete documentation.

Prominent candidates in the fray include MK Stalin (Kolathur), Edappadi K. Palaniswami (Edappadi), Joseph Vijay, Seeman, Udhayanidhi Stalin, and Premalatha Vijayakanth. Senior Ministers, including Duraimurugan, KN Nehru, EV Velu and I Periyasamy, are also in the contest.

In comparison, the 2021 Assembly election saw 7,255 nominations filed, with 3,998 candidates ultimately contesting.

Polling will be held on April 23, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.

Following the finalisation of candidates, the Election Commission of India has deployed 176 general and police observers, along with 150 expenditure observers. They have been tasked with ensuring that the election is conducted in a free, fair and inducement-free manner, with close monitoring of campaign expenditure.

TN Election

Total candidates: 4,023

Total nomination papers filed: 7,599

Rejected during scrutiny: About 2,460

Highest no of candidates: Karur (79), Perambur (47), Kolathur (35), Paramathi-Velur (31)

Lowest: Ambasamudram (5), Udhagamandalam (6), Gudalur (6), Coonoor 6.