Chennai, Mar 29 (PTI) TVK chief Vijay on Sunday introduced a candidate line-up for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections that blends grassroots loyalty and experience drawn from Dravidian parties.
Vijay himself is set to contest from two seats, Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli East, directly taking on the DMK in urban strongholds.
The DMK has fielded R D Sekar from Perambur and retained Inigo Iruthayaraj in Tirchirappalli East. At the event organised by the TVK on Sunday to introduce the candidates, Vijay reiterated that the fight was between his TVK, the "people's alliance" as he called it and DMK.
While AIADMK has allocated the Perambur seat to its ally, PMK, led by Anbumani Ramadoss, in Tiruchirapalli East it will be fielding a new face, G Rajasekaran.
Analysts say by choosing Tiruchirapalli East as his second constituency, Vijay is taking his "pure force" narrative to a central Tamil Nadu hub that has historically served as a bellwether for state political trends.
Party's General Secretary and former Puducherry MLA, 'Bussy' N Anand, who is considered the right hand of Vijay, will be contesting from T Nagar, while Aadhav Arjuna, who manages the party's election campaign, has been fielded from Villivakkam.
In the high-stakes T Nagar constituency, Anand is set to face a formidable challenge from both DMK and AIADMK.
DMK has fielded Raja Anbazhagan, son of late veteran leader J Anbazhagan, while AIADMK has nominated former MLA B Sathyanarayanan, commonly known as T Nagar Sathya.
In the Villivakkam constituency, a working-class hub, Arjuna will be part of a complex triangular contest. In a strategic reshuffle, the DMK has fielded Karthik Mohan, son of sitting Anna Nagar legislator M K Mohan, while AIADMK has nominated former MP S R Vijayakumar.
TVK has opted for C T R Nirmal Kumar, who transitioned from the BJP and AIADMK, for the Thiruparankundram constituency, which will also see a high-profile triangular battle. Kumar, former BJP IT wing chief, is seen as the narrative builder of TVK, providing the party with its anti-corruption teeth.
AIADMK has re-nominated its sitting legislator and veteran leader V V Rajan Chellappa in Thirupparankundram, which has moved to the centre of the state's political discourse following the 'deepathoon' controversy. However, DMK has chosen a relative newcomer, Kiruthiga Thangapandi, who, in her tenure as district councillor for Madurai South, has gained a reputation for addressing grassroots issues and basic infrastructure needs.
To counter the criticism of political inexperience, the TVK has integrated seasoned administrators and former stalwarts from the AIADMK. K A Sengottaiyan, a nine-time legislator and former minister, now chief coordinator of TVK, will be contesting from his home turf of Gobichettipalayam.
Interestingly, AIADMK has chosen to field there a debutante, V B Prabhu, who has risen through the ranks of the student wing. Similarly, the candidacy of former AIADMK minister Ku Pa Krishnan from Lalgudi and J C D Prabhakar from Thousand Lights suggests that Vijay is successfully absorbing seasoned leaders who bring their own local influence and cadre support.
By choosing former Indian Revenue Service officer R Arunraaj, TVK has turned the Tiruchengode constituency into yet another high-profile contest. Arunraaj recently took voluntary retirement to join the party and has been appointed as the party's general secretary for propaganda and policy.
DMK has once again allotted this seat to its ally, the Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi. The incumbent legislator E R Eswaran is seeking re-election under the DMK’s rising sun symbol. AIADMK has countered this by nominating R Chandrasekar, replacing the 2021 runner-up, as the party looks to revitalise its local organisational machinery. With the entry of Arunraaj, the race has become a prominent three-cornered fight.
The party has fielded V S Babu against Chief Minister M K Stalin in Kolathur and D Selvam, a former Congress leader, against Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. A veteran in Chennai's political circuit, Babu previously served as the MLA for the Purasawalkam constituency representing the DMK in 2006.
TVK is hoping to tap into his deep familiarity with the urban geography of North Chennai. Meanwhile, in Selvam, a former general secretary of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, the party is getting a seasoned leader.
The party is fielding 26 women candidates. Prominent among them is V Sathyabama, who is also among the party's most experienced political faces. A former AIADMK MP from the Tiruppur constituency, she brings established organisational strength to the party in the Western Kongu belt. She is tasked with securing Tiruppur North, a vital industrial hub, leveraging her past experience.
N Marie Wilson, managing director of Jeppiar Institute of Technology, will be contesting from R K Nagar where he faces sitting DMK legislator J John Ebenezer and AIADMK's Jenitha Jeyarani. PTI JR JR ADB