The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Saturday (March 28, 2026) announced its list of 164 candidates to contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin will once again contest from Kolathur and Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni constituencies in Chennai.
Mr. Stalin represented Kolathur since the constituency was created after delimitation. He won the seat in the council elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021 and will now fight for the seat for the fourth time.
Dispelling rumors that senior minister and DMK general secretary Duraimurugan would not contest this time, Chief Minister Stalin announced that Duraimurugan would again contest from Katpadi. He was first elected to the Assembly in 1971, since then he has won ten elections and will enter the fray in this election for the thirteenth time.
Several ministers present, including Minister for Textiles and Handlooms R. Gandhi, Minister for Dairy Development Mano Thangaraj and Minister for Human Resource Management Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, were denied tickets. Former Environment and Forest Minister K. Ramachandran did not participate in the race due to health reasons. Former minister N. Suresh Rajan was also deposed in Kanniyakumari district.
Former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam was announced as the candidate from Bodinayakanur. Former minister V. Senthilbalaji has been shifted from Karur district to Coimbatore South. The Coimbatore South seat was won by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Vanathi Srinivasan in the 2021 election. In Egmore, the party fielded Tamilan Prasanna, a familiar face defending the DMK in televised news debates.
A line of ministers in battle
Former higher education minister K. Ponmudy, who resigned from the DMK ministry, has been dismissed. His son, Gautham Sigamani, was nominated from the Tirukovilur constituency, which Mr Ponmudy won in 2021.
Vinoth Gandhi, son of Textiles and Handlooms Minister R. Gandhi, has been named the DMK candidate from Ranipet. However, the minister was not allocated a constituency.
The DMK has also nominated A. Subair Khan, an orthopedic surgeon and son of former Union Minister A. Rahman Khan from the Royapuram constituency. In Tirumangalam in Madurai district, the party has fielded Sedappatti Manimaran, son of former Assembly Speaker Sedapatti Muthiah, who defected from the AIADMK many years ago.
In Andipatti, DMK candidate A. Maharajan is fighting for a third consecutive term, taking on his brother A. Logirajan. Mr. Maharajan had won the seat in the previous two elections. The party named N. Chitrarasu as its candidate from Anna Nagar.
In Villivakkam, the DMK has fielded Karthik Mohan, son of MK Mohan, the party’s MLA from Anna Nagar. He is slated to face Aadhav Arjun from actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Mr. Arjuna was earlier associated with the DMK and worked closely with Udhayanidhi Stalin as a political strategist before entering electoral politics. The Villivakkam seat was won by A. Vetriazhagan, the grandson of former DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan, in the 2021 elections.
Below is the list of DMK candidates for the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Elections.
1. Alandur – TM Anbarasan
2. Alangudi – Siva V. Meyyanathan
3. Alangulam – Paul Manoj Pandian
4. Ambattur – Dr. AP Poornima
5. Ambur – AC Vilvanathan
6. Anaikattu – AP Nandakumar
7. Andipatti – A. Maharajan
8. Anna Nagar – N. Chitrarasu
9. Anthiyur – M. Sivabalan
10. Arani – Mahalakshmi Govarthanan
11. Aravakurichi – Monjanour R. Elango
12. Arcot – JL Eswarappan
13. Ariyalur – Latha Balu
14. Aruppukkottai – KKSSR Ramachandran
15. Athoor – I. Periyasamy
16. Avadi – SM Nasar
17. Avanashi (SC) – V. Kokila Mani
18. Bargur – D. Mathiyazhagan
19. Bhavani – KA Chandrasekar
20. Bhuvanagiri – Durai K. Saravanan
21. Bodinayakkanur – O. Panneerselvam
22. Chengalpattu – MKD Karthik Dhandapani
23. Chengam – Giri MP
24. Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni – Udhayanidhi Stalin
25. Cheyyar – O. Jothi
26. Coimbatore North – D. Senthamiz Selvan
27. Coimbatore South – V. Senthilbalaji
28. Coonoor – KM Raju
29. Cumbum – N. Ramakrishnan
30. Dharapuram (SC) – T. Indirani
31. Dindigul – IP Senthilkumar
32.Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar – J. John Ebenezer
33. Edappadi – C. Kasi
34. Egmore (SC) – S. Prasanna
35. Erode West – S. Muthusamy
36. Gangavalli (SC) – K. Chinnadurai
37. Gingee – Gingee KS Masthan
38. Gobichettipalayam – N. Nallasivam
39. Gudalur (SC) – M. Thiravidamani
40. Gummidipoondi – TJ Govindarajan
41. Harbor – PK Sekarbabu
42. Harur – A. Shanmugam
43. Jayankondam – KSK Kannan
44. Jolarpet – Kavitha Dhandapani
45. Kalasapakkam – PST Saravanan
46.Kancheepuram – S. Nithya
47. Kangayam – MP Saminathan
48. Kanniyakumari – R. Mahesh
49. Karur – Aasi M. Thiagarajan
50. Katpadi – Duraimurugan
51. Kilpennathur – K. Pichandi
52. Kilvaithinankuppam (SC) – Dr. Rajeswari Mohangandhi
53. Kinathukadavu – S. Sabari Karthikeyan
54. Kolathur – MK Stalin
55. Kovilpatti – K. Karunanidhi
56. Krishnarajapuram (SC) – CK Raja
57. Kulithalai – Suriyanur A. Chandran
58. Kumarapalayam – S. Balu
59. Kumbakonam – G. Anbalagan
60. Kunnam – RZ Sivasankar
61. Kurinjipadi – MRK Panneerselvam
62. Lalgudi – T. Parivallal Thangavel
63. Madathukulam – R. Jayaramakrishnan
64. Madhavaram – S. Sudharsanam
65. Madurai Central – Palanivel Thiaga Rajan
66. Madurai East – P. Moorthy
67. Madurai North – G. Thalapathi
68. Madurai West – R. Balaji
69. Madurantakam (SC) – S. Ponmalar
70. Maduravoyal – Karambakkam K. Ganapathy
71. Manamadurai (SC) – A. Tamilarasi
72. Mannachanallur – S. Kathiravan
73. Mannargudi – TRB Rajaa
74. Mettupalayam – K. Kavitha Sundaram
75. Mettur – M. Midhun Chakaravarthy
76. Mudukulathur – RS Rajakannappan
77. Musiri – NS Karunairaaja
78. Mylapore – Dha. A lot
79. Nagercoil – S. Austin
80. Namakkal – P. Rani
81. Neyveli – Saba. Rajendran
82. Nilakottai (SC) – S. Nagajothi
83. Orathanadu – R. Vaithilingam
84. Ottanchatram – R. Sakkarapani
85. Ottapidaram (SC) – Prime Minister Ramajeyam
86. Palacode – Dr. DNV Senthilkumar
87. Palayamkottai – M. Abdul Wahab
88. Palladam – K. Selvraj
89. Pappireddippatti – P. Palaniappan
90. Paramakudi (SC) – KK Kathiravan
91. Paramathi Velur – KS Moorthy
92. Pattukkottai – K. Annadurai
93. Hosur – SA Sathya
94. Perambalur (SC) – ST Jayalakshmi
95. Perambur – RD Shekar
96. Peravurani – N. Asokkumar
97. Perundurai – Thoppu ND Venkatachalam
98. Poompuhar – Nivedha M. Murugan
99. Poonamallee (SC) – A. Krishnaswamy
100. Pudukkottai – V. Muthuraja
101. Radhapuram – M. Appavu
102. Rajapalayam – S. Thangapandian
103. Ramanathapuram – Katharbatsha (and) Muthuramalingam
104. Ranipet – Vinoth Gandhi
105. Rasipuram (SC) – M. Mathiventhan
106. Rishivandiyam – K. Karthikeyan
107. Royapuram – Dr. A. Subair Khan
108. Saidapet – Ma. Subramanian
109. Salem North – R. Rajendran
110. Salem South – M. Loganathan
111. Sankarapuram – T. Udhayasuriyan
112. Hero – M. Manikandan
113. Sattur – A. Kadarkarai Raj
114. Senthamangalam (ST) – P. Poomalar
115. Sholavandan (SC) – A. Venkatesan
116. Sholinganallur – S. Aravind Ramesh
117. Srirangam – S. Durairaj
118. Sulur – Thalapathi Murugeshan
119. T. Nagar – King of Anbalagan
120. Tambaram – Dr. RS Kiruthika Devi
121. Tenkasi – Kalai Kathiravan
122. Thanjavur – Shan. Ramanathan
123. Thiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar (SC) – KS Ravichandran
124. Thiruchuli – Thangam Thennarasu
125. Thirumayam – S. Regupati
126. Thirupparankundram – Kiruthiga Thangapandi
127. Thiruvaiyaru – Durai. Chandrasekaran
128. Thiruvarur – Poondi K. Kalaivanan
129. Thiruvidaimarudur – Govi. Chezhian
130. Thondamuthur – NR Karthikeyan
131. Thoothukudi – P. Geetha Jeevan
132. A thousand lights – Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan
133. Tiruchendur – Anitha R. Radhakrishnan
134. Tirukkoyilur – Mon. Gowtham Sigamani
135. Tirumangalam – Sedapatti M. Manimaran
136. Tirunelveli – S. Subramanian
137. Tirupattur – A. Nallathambi
138. Tirupattur – KR Periakaruppan
139. Tiruppur South – N. Dinesh Kumar
140. Tiruvallur – VG Rajendran
141. Tiruvannamalai – EV Velu
142. Thiruverumbur – Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi
143. Tittakudi (SC) – CV Ganesan
144. Tiruchi East – Dr. S. Inigo Irudayaraj
145. Tiruchi West – KN Nehru
146. Udumalaipettai – M. Jayakumar
147. Ulundurpettai – GR Vasanthavel
148. Uthiramerur – K. Sundar
149. Valparai (SC) – A. Sudhakar
150. Vandavasi (SC) – S. Ambeth Kumar
151. Vanur (SC) – D. Gowtham
152. Vasudevanallur – E. Raja
153. Vedaranyam – M. Pugazhenthi
154. Vedasandur – D. Swaminathan
155. Veerapandi – Dr. AK Tarun
156. Vellore – P. Karthikeyan
157. Veppanahalli – PS Srinivasan
158. Vikravandi – Anniyur Siva (a) A. Siva Sanmugam
159. Vilathikulam – GV Markandayan
160. Villivakkam – Karthik Mohan
161. Villupuram – R. Lakshmanan
162. Viralimalai – KK Chella Pandiyan
163. Virugambakkam – AMV Prabhakara Raja
164. Yercaud (ST) – TM Revathi Matheswaran
