Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s principal opposition party, AIADMK, on Wednesday unveiled its first list of 23 candidates for the April 23 Assembly elections, reaffirming key figures and established constituencies as it leads the NDA in the state.

The party has largely backed continuity, renominating sitting legislators and senior leaders in familiar electoral battlegrounds, signalling a strategy centred on experience and regional strength.

Top leadership retained in key seats

The AIADMK has renominated its chief K Palaniswami, who also serves as Leader of the Opposition, from his home constituency of Edappadi in Salem district. Senior leaders K P Munusamy and Dindigul C Sreenivasan, both sitting MLAs, will contest again from Veppanahalli in Krishnagiri and Dindigul respectively.

Veteran legislator Natham R Viswanathan has been fielded from Natham, while prominent western region leaders SP Velumani and P Thangamani will contest from Thondamuthur and Kumarapalayam.

Chennai, delta and regional strongholds

Former minister D Jayakumar will contest from Royapuram in north Chennai. C Ve Shanmugam, a Rajya Sabha MP and former minister, has been nominated from Mailam in Villupuram district.

C Vijayabaskar, who served as Health Minister during the AIADMK regime, will contest from Viralimalai. In the Cauvery delta region, R Kamaraj and OS Manian have been fielded from Nannilam and Vedaranyam.

Other candidates include legislators Sellur K Raju and KP Anbalagan from Madurai-West and Palacode, along with former ministers Kadambur C Raju and RB Udhayakumar from Kovilpatti and Thirumangalam.

Other names, alliances and wider contest

Among other candidates, KT Rajenthra Bhalaji will contest from Sivakasi, despite facing allegations in scam and job racket cases. The list also features P Benjamin, Agri S S Krishnamurthy, V V Rajan Chellappa, K C Karuppannan, K C Veeramani, M R Vijayabaskar and Thamarai S Rajendran.

Former ministers including KC Veeramani and C Vijayabaskar are facing disproportionate assets cases filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.

While Tamil nationalist NTK has already announced candidates for all 234 seats, the AIADMK becomes the first major party in Tamil Nadu to release a partial list.

Under seat-sharing arrangements, the AIADMK has allocated 27 seats to the BJP, 18 to PMK and 11 to AMMK. Factoring in other NDA allies, the party is set to contest a majority of the 234 constituencies in the state.