Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 27 : AIADMK on Friday released the second list of 127 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, taking the total candidates from the party to 150.
The second list offers a mix of sitting MLAs, former MLAs and new faces as the party eyes a return to governance under the leadership of E Palaniswami.
Former state minister B V Ramana has been fielded from Tiruvallur, while Pollachi V Jayaraman, another ex-minister and incumbent MLA, will fight from Pollachi
Party legislator from Maduranthakam, Maragatham Kumaravel, has also been renominated. Advocate Wing Deputy Secretary Mangulam K Mahendran will contest from Madurai East.
Former MLA K Manickam is fielded from Sholavandan, P Saravanan from Madurai North, and I. Mahendran from Usilampatti.
In its first list, AIADMK announced that the party chief Palaniswami will contest from Edappadi. Among other key candidates named in the list were K P Munusamy from Veppanahalli, Dindigul C Srinivasan from Dindigul, Natham R Viswanathan from Natham, S P Velumani from Thondamuthur, and D Jayakumar from Royapuram
The party has named several senior leaders in its first list, including P Balakrishna from Krishnagiri, D Jayakumar from Rayakottai, C V Shanmugam from Hosur, S K Rajendran from Maduranthakam, K P Anbazhagan from Palacode, R K Nagaraj from Pennagaram, and O S Manian from Velur.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The current tenure of the 234-member state assembly ends on May 10.
The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes Congress, DMDK, and other parties. Looking to unseat the ruling alliance are the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) with BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.