T.N. Assembly election: DMK candidate list includes 60 fresh faces and 4 Mayors

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Saturday released its list of candidates for the Assembly polls, retaining most of its Ministers while introducing 60 new faces, including four Mayors. The list also includes 19 women candidates. Of the 164 nominees, 15 are doctors, 17 engineers, 29 advocates, and seven hold Ph.Ds.

Though it was widely rumoured that senior Minister Duraimurugan would not contest this time, Mr. Stalin announced that the Minister will once again enter the fray from the Katpadi constituency. First elected to the Assembly in 1971, he has since been elected 10 times, and is entering the fray for the thirteenth time this election.

Among the Mayors entering the fray are R. Mahesh, who will contest from Kanniyakumari constituency; Tiruppur Mayor N. Dinesh Kumar, from Tiruppur South constituency; Thanjavur Mayor Shan. Ramanathan from Thanjavur constituency; and Hosur Mayor S. A. Sathya from Hosur constituency.

Ministers dropped

Sitting Ministers — Handlooms and Textiles Minister R. Gandhi, Dairy Development Minister Mano Thangaraj, and Human Resources Management Minister Kayalvizhi Selvaraj — have been denied tickets. Former Environment and Forest Minister K. Ramachandran has opted out of the race owing to health reasons.

Former Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy, who had resigned from the DMK Ministry, has been dropped. Instead, his son Gowtham Sigamani has been fielded in Tirukovilur Assembly constituency, which elected Mr. Ponmudy in 2021. Vinod Gandhi, son of Mr. Gandhi, will contest from Ranipet constituency. The DMK has nominated A. Subair Khan, an orthopaedic surgeon and son of the late A. Rahman Khan, for Royapuram constituency. In Tirumangalam constituency, the party has fielded Sedappati Manimaran, son of former Speaker Sedapatti Muthiah, who defected from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Former Minister V. Senthilbalaji, a strongman from Karur, will contest from the Coimbatore South constituency, which was won by Vanathi Srinivasan of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2021 Assembly election.

In Kanniyakumari district, former Minister N. Suresh Rajan has also been denied a ticket. A. Maharajan, the DMK candidate for the Andipatti constituency, is contesting for the third time and will face his brother A. Logirajan. Mr. Maharajan won the previous two elections.