Tamil Nadu Assembly polls: BJP releases list of 27 candidates; Annamalai left out

Mangalore Today News Network

Chennai, Apr 3, 2026: The BJP has announced its first list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with former IPS officer and ex-state president K. Annamalai notably missing from the lineup.

State BJP President Nainar Nagendran will contest from Sattur, while Union Minister L. Murugan has been fielded from Avinashi (SC). Sitting MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, currently representing Coimbatore South, has been shifted to Coimbatore (North).

Among other key candidates, M. Rajasimha Mahindra (M. Ashwinkumar) will contest from Avadi, Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, Dr. Nagesh Kumar from Thalli, and C. Elumalai from Tiruvannamalai. Dr. S.D. Premkumar has been fielded from Rasipuram (SC), Keerthika Shivakumar from Modakkurichi, and Bhojarajan from Udhagamandalam.

S. Thangaraj will contest from Tiruppur (South), Govi Chandru from Tiruvarur, and M. Muruganandam from Thanjavur. C. Udayakumar has been named from Gandharvakottai (SC), N. Ramachandran from Pudukkottai, and Kavitha Srikanth from Aranthangi.

K.C. Thirumaran will contest from Tiruppattur, Pon V. Balaganapathi from Manamadurai (SC), Rama Srinivasan from Madurai South, and GBS K. Nagendran from Ramanathapuram. KRM Radhakrishnan has been fielded from Tiruchendur, Anantan Ayyasamy from Vasudevanallur (SC), and S.P. Balakrishnan from Radhapuram.

M.R. Gandhi will contest from Nagercoil, T. Shivakumar from Colachel, P. Ramesh from Padmanabhapuram, and S. Vijayadharani from Vilavancode.

Under the NDA seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP is contesting a limited number of seats, while its ally AIADMK is fielding candidates in 178 constituencies. The PMK, led by Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, will contest 18 seats, T.T.V. Dhinakaran’s AMMK 11 seats, Tamil Maanila Congress five seats (under the BJP symbol), T.R. Paarivendhar’s IJK two seats, and TMMK one seat.

Polling for all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.