DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai questions BJP over speculation of Union MoS L Murugan contesting Tamil Nadu polls

Hitting at the BJP, Saravanan Annadurai said, “L Murugan is from the SC community. He is already a minister, so why does the BJP make him contest the election? Will they do the same for Nirmala Sitharaman? She is also a Rajya Sabha MP. This is the politics of the BJP, which is why they have always been rejected in Tamil Nadu. We will win the 2026 elections.”

In the NDA, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) will contest on 169 seats. The BJP has been allotted 27 seats, followed by the Pattali Makkal Katchi with 18 seats, and the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam with 11 seats.Meanwhile, the DMK on Saturday released its list of candidates for 164 seats.

Annadurai said, “Our leader wishes all the candidates who have been announced. They are seeking the blessings of the leader before embarking on their campaign. All of the neutral observers are praising the candidate list.”The DMK will contest 164 out of the 234 constituencies in the state, while 70 seats have been allocated to its alliance partners. These partners include the Congress Party with 28 seats, the Communist Party of India (CPI) with five seats, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) with five seats, VCK with eight seats, and MDMK with four seats. Other smaller parties in the alliance include the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) with 10 seats, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) with two seats, and several other regional parties.

The party has fielded CM MK Stalin as the candidate for the Kolathur constituency and announced Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni.Other prominent DMK candidates include Mahesh for Kanyakumari, Appavu for Radhapuram, Vahab for Palayamkottai, Kalaikathiravan for Tenkasi, and KKSSR Ramachandran for Aruppukottai.In addition, O Panneerselvam will contest from Bodinayakkanur, and RS Kirthiga Devi has been fielded from Tambaram.

Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.