The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) released its list of candidates for the parliamentary polls on Saturday, retaining most of its ministers while fielding 60 new faces, including four mayors. There are also 19 female candidates on the list. Of the 164 nominees, 15 are doctors, 17 are engineers, 29 are lawyers and seven hold Ph.D.
Although it was widely rumored that senior minister Duraimurugan would not contest this time, Mr. Stalin announced that the minister would re-enter the fray from Katpadi constituency. He was first elected to the Assembly in 1971, since then he has been elected 10 times and in this election he is entering the fray for the thirteenth time.
Among the mayors entering the fray are R. Mahesh, who will contest from the Kanniyakumari constituency; Tiruppur Mayor N. Dinesh Kumar from Tiruppur South constituency; Mayor Thanjavur Shan. Ramanathan from Thanjavur constituency; and Hosur Mayor SA Sathya from Hosur constituency.
The ministers fell
Sitting ministers – Handlooms and Textiles Minister R. Gandhi, Dairy Development Minister Mano Thangaraj and Human Resource Management Minister Kayalvizhi Selvaraj – were denied tickets. Former Environment and Forest Minister K. Ramachandran did not participate in the race due to health reasons.
Former higher education minister K. Ponmudy, who resigned from the DMK ministry, has been dismissed. Instead, his son Gowtham Sigamani was fielded in the Tirukovilur Assembly constituency, which elected Mr. Ponmudy in 2021. Vinod Gandhi, son of Mr. Gandhi, will contest from the Ranipet constituency. The DMK has nominated A. Subair Khan, an orthopedic surgeon and son of the late A. Rahman Khan, for the Royapuram constituency. In the Tirumangalam constituency, the party has fielded Sedappatti Manimaran, son of former speaker Sedapatti Muthiah, who defected from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Former minister V Senthilbalaji, a strongman from Karur, will contest from the Coimbatore South constituency, which was won by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Vanathi Srinivasan in the 2021 assembly elections.
In Kanniyakumari district, former minister N. Suresh Rajan was also denied a ticket. A. Maharajan, the DMK candidate for Andipatti constituency, is contesting for the third time and will be pitted against his brother A. Logirajan. Mr. Maharajan had won the previous two elections.
Published – 28 March 2026 11:50 PM IST
