Tamil Nadu polls: AIADMK’s first list of 6 candidates released

The AIADMK released the first list of six candidates for the April 6 assembly election in Tamil Nadu on Friday, even as seat-sharing talks with alliance partner BJP were yet to conclude.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will contest from the Edappadi constituency in his home district of Salem while deputy CM O Panneerselvam will contest from Bodinayakanur in Theni district, his native place.

Fisheries minister D Jayakumar and law minister C Ve Shanmugam will contest from Royapuram and Villupuram respectively while S P Shanmuganathan and S Thenmozhi will be fielded from Srivaigundam and Nilakottai. This announcement came about five days after the AIADMK began seat-sharing talks with the BJP. Talks between the opposition DMK and the Congress have not concluded either.


With both the BJP and the Congress eyeing better exposure in the politically elusive state of Tamil Nadu, the talks have been going back and forth as the national parties have demanded more seats. This has met with stiff resistance from the Dravidian parties, both of which want to contest a minimum of 180 seats in the 234-member assembly. While former CM J Jayalalithaa’s aide Sasikala's sudden exit from politics should have smoothed the path, analysts said BJP could be looking at getting the AIADMK to permit TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK to join forces in order not to lose out on the Thevar community’s support.