The Tamil Nadu ruling party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Saturday announced its seat-sharing arrangement with allies ahead of the assembly elections in the state scheduled for 23 April. While most ministers in the M K Stalin government have retained their seats, new joinees like AIADMK veteran O Panneerselvam has also been given a ticket by the DMK.
The seat-sharing arrangement for the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) was announced by Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin. Out of the 234 assembly constituecies in Tamil Nadu, the DMK will be contesting in 164.
Seat-sharing arrangement for allies
The Congress has been allotted 28 seats (including Ponneri, Erode East, Vilavankode, Sivakasi and Karaikudi) while the CPI and the CPI(M) have been allotted five seats each. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has been allotted eight seats (including Kattumannarkoil, Panrutti and Tindivanam) and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) four seats.
The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) will contest 10 seats (including Vriddhachalam and Pallavaram) while the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will contest in two seats.
Key seats have been kept by the DMK for itself. Stalin himself will be contesting from Kolathur constituency while his son and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has been fielded from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni.
Some other prominent candidates from the party are Mahesh for Kanyakumari, Appavu for Radhapuram, Vahab for Palayamkottai, Kalaikathiravan for Tenkasi, and KKSSR Ramachandran for Aruppukottai.
OPS gets ticket
Long-time Jayalalithaa loyalist OPS, who has now joined her arch-rivals, has also been fielded from Bodinayakkanur.
Former electricity minister V Senthil Balaji has been fielded from Coimbatore South and not from his stronghold of Karur. The move is DMK's attempt to make itself gain ground in Coimbatore and surrounding regions, which are considered a stronghold of the AIADMK.
Regarding criticism by the opposition about DMK taking time to release their candidates' list, Stalin said as per ANI, "We may have come last, but we are the latest."
Three sitting ministers have been denied a ticket this time around, namely, N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj (human resources minister), T Mano THangaraj (diary minister), and R Gandhi (handlooms minister). More than a third of constituencies will see fresh DMK faces.
There are 125 degree holders, 18 women candidates, 15 doctors, and 29 advocates among the DMK's candidates this time around.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026
The Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections will be held in a single phase on 23 April. Resuls for the same will be declared on 4 May. Results for the Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, and Puducherry assembly elections will also be declared on 4 May.
