<p>Chennai: Taking the lead, the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/aiadmk">AIADMK</a> on Wednesday released the first list of its 23 candidates for the April 23 assembly elections by renominating its chief <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/edappadi-k-palaniswami">Edappadi K Palaniswami</a> from his pocket borough of Edappadi in Salem district. Of the remaining 22 candidates, as many as 20 are former ministers and prominent functionaries of the party. </p><p>Hours after releasing the first list, Palaniswami kicked off his election campaign from Mylapore after offering prayers at the Kapaleeswarar Temple. </p><p>He campaigned for the BJP which has been allotted the seat in the alliance and sought votes for former state unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan though her candidature has not been announced officially. </p>.Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 | AIADMK promises free refrigerators for ration card holders.<p>Party deputy general secretaries K P Munusamy and Dindigul C Sreenivasan have been fielded from Veppanahalli in Krishnagiri district and Dindigul seats, while Coimbatore strongman S P Velumani will enter the fray from his traditional seat of Thondamuthur. </p><p>Former ministers C Ve Shanmugam, Agri S S Krishnamurthy, and Rajenthra Balaji have changed their constituencies to Mailam, Kalasapakkam, and Sivakasi. </p><p>The party has renominated V V Rajan Chellappa from Thiruparankundram, a seat which the BJP expected to milk the controversy over lighting of lamp at the hillock of the Lord Murugan Temple.</p>
<p>Chennai: Taking the lead, the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/aiadmk">AIADMK</a> on Wednesday released the first list of its 23 candidates for the April 23 assembly elections by renominating its chief <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/edappadi-k-palaniswami">Edappadi K Palaniswami</a> from his pocket borough of Edappadi in Salem district. Of the remaining 22 candidates, as many as 20 are former ministers and prominent functionaries of the party. </p><p>Hours after releasing the first list, Palaniswami kicked off his election campaign from Mylapore after offering prayers at the Kapaleeswarar Temple. </p><p>He campaigned for the BJP which has been allotted the seat in the alliance and sought votes for former state unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan though her candidature has not been announced officially. </p>.Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 | AIADMK promises free refrigerators for ration card holders.<p>Party deputy general secretaries K P Munusamy and Dindigul C Sreenivasan have been fielded from Veppanahalli in Krishnagiri district and Dindigul seats, while Coimbatore strongman S P Velumani will enter the fray from his traditional seat of Thondamuthur. </p><p>Former ministers C Ve Shanmugam, Agri S S Krishnamurthy, and Rajenthra Balaji have changed their constituencies to Mailam, Kalasapakkam, and Sivakasi. </p><p>The party has renominated V V Rajan Chellappa from Thiruparankundram, a seat which the BJP expected to milk the controversy over lighting of lamp at the hillock of the Lord Murugan Temple.</p>