Chennai: The number of female candidates fielded by political parties in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections has attracted significant attention, with the NTK leading the way by adhering to its 50-50 representation policy, while the DMK, AIADMK, and TVK have announced varying numbers of women candidates.
NTK Leads with 117 Women Candidates
The Naam Tamilar Katchi, which upholds a policy of 50-50 representation, has fielded female candidates in 117 constituencies in this election, the highest among all parties contesting.
TVK field 23 women candidates
TVK leader Vijay today announced candidates for all 234 constituencies, with the party allocating 23 seats to women. The TVK’s female candidates include Sathyabama (Tiruppur North)
Vijayalakshmi (Kumarapalayam),
Pallavi (Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar),
Kamatchi (Pallavaram),
Thahira (Ranipet),
Sindhu (Gudiyatham),
Thilagavathi (Pappireddipatti),
Sujatha (Gangavalli),
Vijayalakshmi (Yercaud),
Gowri Chitra (Dharapuram),
Kalaiselvi (Bhavanisagar),
Kamali (Avinashi),
Kanimozhi (Goundampalayam),
Kalai Selvi (Athur),
Nagajothi (Vedasandur),
Revathi (Kunnam),
Sindhuja (Thirumayam),
Kulandai Rani Nachiyar (Sivaganga),
Jagadeeswari (Rajapalayam),
Malarvizhi (Mudukulathur),
Ezhil Catherine (Madhuranthakam),
Amutharani (Vasudevanallur), and Keerthana (Sivakasi).
Of these 23 female candidates, 8 are contesting in reserved constituencies, while J. Lakshmi is standing as a candidate in the Yercaud (Tribal) constituency.
DMK and AIADMK allocations
The DMK, contesting in 164 constituencies, has allocated 18 seats to women. The party announced all its candidates in a single phase. The AIADMK, contesting in 167 constituencies, has allocated 20 seats to women, with the party announcing its candidates in three phases.
The representation of women in this election remains a key talking point, with parties adopting different approaches ranging from the NTK’s 50-50 policy to the more modest allocations by the Dravidian majors.