BJP Tamil Nadu candidate list out; no ticket for Annamalai
Party fields 27 candidates for 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly polls; Tamizhisai gets Mylapore, Vanathi retains Coimbatore North, L Murugan to contest from Avinashi
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday (April 3) released its list of 27 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election. Conspicuously missing in the list is former state unit president K Annamalai.
Tamilisai in Mylapore
The list has five women candidates in key constituencies. Tamilisai Soundararajan, former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, has been fielded from Mylapore, Kirthika Shivkumar from Modakkurichi, Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North, Kavitha Srikanth from Aranthangi, and S Vijayadharani from Vilavancode. This is seen to signal the party's push to field women in winnable seats.
Also Read: TN elections: Why BJP is missing from Tirupparankundram
Here's the full list of candidates:
Reserved seats get attention
The BJP has named candidates across multiple SC-reserved constituencies, including Rasipuram, Avinashi, Manamadurai, and Vasudevanallur, reflecting an outreach to Dalit voters ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested election.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan will contest from the SC-reserved constituency of Avinashi, marking a significant move as a sitting central minister steps down to fight a state assembly election.
Annamalai's future unclear
The expected absence of Annamalai, the former BJP Tamil Nadu president, who has been the face of BJP's aggressive expansion drive in the state, has left questions about his future in BJP and also Tamil Nadu politics.
Meanwhile, Annamalai took to X to wish all the candidate his best for the election. He also claimed that as a 'Karyakarta' he will stand shoulder to shoulder and campaign for all the winning BJP and NDA candidates.