<p>Ahead of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu's</a> 2026 assembly election, the opposition party AIADMK released its first list of 23 candidates on Wednesday.</p><p>The AIADMK has renominated its chief and Leader of the Opposition, K Palaniswami, from his home constituency of Edappadi in Salem district. The party has largely retained sitting MLAs and former legislators, fielding them again from their traditional strongholds.</p><p>Former minister and senior Chennai leader D Jayakumar will contest from Royapuram in north Chennai, while Rajya Sabha MP and former minister C Ve Shanmugam has been fielded from Mailam in Villupuram district. C Vijayabaskar, who served as Health Minister during the AIADMK regime and is also an MLA, will contest from Viralimalai.</p><p>In its first list, the party has also retained key leaders K P Munusamy and Dindigul C Sreenivasan, both MLAs, who will contest from their respective constituencies of Veppanahalli (Krishnagiri) and Dindigul.</p><p>Senior leader and MLA Natham R Viswanathan has been fielded again from Natham in Dindigul district. Prominent western region leaders SP Velumani and P Thangamani will contest from their home constituencies of Thondamuthur and Kumarapalayam, respectively.</p>. <p>MLAs Sellur K Raju and KP Anbalagan will contest from Madurai West and Palacode, while Cauvery delta region leaders R Kamaraj and OS Manian have been fielded from Nannilam and Vedaranyam.</p><p>Former ministers Kadambur C Raju (MLA) and RB Udhayakumar, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, have been named candidates from Kovilpatti and Thirumangalam.</p><p>KT Rajenthra Bhalaji, a prominent leader from Virudhunagar district who has faced allegations in scam and job racket cases, will contest from Sivakasi. Others in the list include P Benjamin, SS Krishnamurthy (MLA), VV Rajan Chellappa (MLA), KC Karuppannan (MLA), KC Veeramani, MR Vijayabaskar, and Thamarai S Rajendran.</p> <p>While the Tamil nationalist NTK has already announced candidates for all 234 seats, the AIADMK is the first major party in the state to release its candidate list, partially.</p><p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/AIADMK">AIADMK</a> has allotted 27 seats to BJP, 18 to PMK and 11 to AMMK.</p>
<p>Ahead of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu's</a> 2026 assembly election, the opposition party AIADMK released its first list of 23 candidates on Wednesday.</p><p>The AIADMK has renominated its chief and Leader of the Opposition, K Palaniswami, from his home constituency of Edappadi in Salem district. The party has largely retained sitting MLAs and former legislators, fielding them again from their traditional strongholds.</p><p>Former minister and senior Chennai leader D Jayakumar will contest from Royapuram in north Chennai, while Rajya Sabha MP and former minister C Ve Shanmugam has been fielded from Mailam in Villupuram district. C Vijayabaskar, who served as Health Minister during the AIADMK regime and is also an MLA, will contest from Viralimalai.</p><p>In its first list, the party has also retained key leaders K P Munusamy and Dindigul C Sreenivasan, both MLAs, who will contest from their respective constituencies of Veppanahalli (Krishnagiri) and Dindigul.</p><p>Senior leader and MLA Natham R Viswanathan has been fielded again from Natham in Dindigul district. Prominent western region leaders SP Velumani and P Thangamani will contest from their home constituencies of Thondamuthur and Kumarapalayam, respectively.</p>. <p>MLAs Sellur K Raju and KP Anbalagan will contest from Madurai West and Palacode, while Cauvery delta region leaders R Kamaraj and OS Manian have been fielded from Nannilam and Vedaranyam.</p><p>Former ministers Kadambur C Raju (MLA) and RB Udhayakumar, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, have been named candidates from Kovilpatti and Thirumangalam.</p><p>KT Rajenthra Bhalaji, a prominent leader from Virudhunagar district who has faced allegations in scam and job racket cases, will contest from Sivakasi. Others in the list include P Benjamin, SS Krishnamurthy (MLA), VV Rajan Chellappa (MLA), KC Karuppannan (MLA), KC Veeramani, MR Vijayabaskar, and Thamarai S Rajendran.</p> <p>While the Tamil nationalist NTK has already announced candidates for all 234 seats, the AIADMK is the first major party in the state to release its candidate list, partially.</p><p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/AIADMK">AIADMK</a> has allotted 27 seats to BJP, 18 to PMK and 11 to AMMK.</p>
