AIADMK bets on familiar faces to reclaim strongholds in Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga

As AIADMK has announced its list of candidates to be fielded in the upcoming Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu, the names of four candidates earmarked for constituencies – Paramakudi (SC), Thiruvadanai and Mudukulathur in Ramanathapuram district and Sivaganga – are all repeaters, barring one, who jumped over to the party recently.  

P. R. Senthilnathan, AIADMK candidate, Sivaganga Assembly constituency.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The Sivaganga AIADMK candidate, P.R. Senthilnathan, native of Devakottai, the serving MLA in the constituency, won by a margin of 11,253 votes in 2021, defeating the Communist Party of India candidate S. Gunasekaran, is not just a repeater, but was also a Member of Parliament (2014-2019) from Sivaganga.  

He rose from being a district councillor in 2001 – 2006, had also served as Devakottai Union Councillor (2006-2011), Devakottai Union Chairman (2011-2013), Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Economic Development Corporation (TABCEDCO) (2013-2014), MP from Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency and finally MLA from Sivaganga AC.  

Ramanathapuram 

As Ramanathapuram AC has been given to the alliance party BJP, the remaining three – Paramakudi (SC), Thiruvadanai and Mudukulathur – will have AIADMK candidates.  

S. Muthiah, AIADMK candidate, Paramakudi Assembly constituency in Ramanathapuram district.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

S. Muthiah, the party allotted candidate for Paramakudi AC, though a repeater, was the reason for the constituency witnessing a by-election in 2019.

  Mr. Muthiah, a practicing doctor, who won the election on an AIADMK ticket, became one of the 18 AIADMK MLAs disqualified in 2017 for siding with T.T.V. Dhinakaran of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK).  

This led to a by-election in the year. Though he was fielded as an independent candidate in the by-election in 2019, he was pushed to third position, behind AIADMK and DMK.  

Although he refrained from contesting the 2021 Assembly elections, his return to the AIADMK as joint secretary of the MGR Mandram—and now as a candidate—is expected to help the party reclaim its lost turf in the constituency. 

Keerthika Munusamy, AIADMK candidate, Thiruvadanai Assembly constituency in Ramanathapuram district.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Keerthika Muniyasamy, the wife of AIADMK Ramanathapuram District Secretary and party selected candidate for Thiruvadanai constituency, though a repeater, has not tasted success both in 2016 and 2021 as the party’s candidate for Mudukulathur AC.  

The State Joint Secretary of the AIADMK Women’s Wing, Ms. Muniyasamy served two terms as the Chairperson of the Paramakudi Municipality in 2006 and 2016. 

Malaysia S. Pandi, AIADMK candidate, Mudukulathur Assembly constituency in Ramanathapuram district.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Interestingly, in 2016, she was fielded against Malaysia S. Pandi, the current AIADMK candidate for Mudukulathur AC and the then Congress candidate who won the Mudukulathur AC, before defecting to AIADMK a year ago.  In 2021 elections, she lost to DMK’s R. S. Rajakannappan, now Minister for Forests.

Mr. Pandi is the current State Joint Secretary of the International MGR Mandram. 

Barring Sivaganga, all the three Assembly Constituencies – currently held by  DMK and its ally, the Congress – are a testing ground for the AIADMK, which believes it can reclaim its lost stronghold. 

Published – March 27, 2026 09:13 pm IST