CHENNAI: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Friday released its list of 27 candidates for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, nearly a month after finalising its seat-sharing deal with the ruling DMK.
The list, released just ahead of the April 6 nomination deadline, covers all the constituencies allocated to the party barring Melur, where internal differences appear to have held up a decision.
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai has been renominated from Sriperumbudur (SC), while Legislature Party leader S Rajesh Kumar will contest again from Killiyoor.
Sitting MLAs JMH Aassan Maulaana (Velachery) and Ruby Manoharan (Nanguneri) have also been retained.
Among the notable new faces, GKM Tamil Kumaran, son of former PMK leader GK Mani who recently switched to the Congress, has been fielded from Pennagaram. Youth Congress president KP Surya Prakash will contest from Kavundampalayam.
The absence of a candidate in Melur has drawn attention to continuing differences within the party leadership.
Sources say the delay is linked to demands from a section close to MP Karti Chidambaram, which had been pushing for the Sivagangai constituency instead. The matter remains unresolved.
The full list:
Ponneri (SC) – Durai Chandrasekar
Velachery – JMH Aassan Maulaana
Sriperumbudur (SC) – K Selvaperunthagai
Sholingur – AM Munirathnam
Uthangarai (SC) – R Kuppu Saamy
Krishnagiri – Dr A Chella Kumar
Pennagaram – GKM Tamil Kumaran
Attur (SC) – SK Arthanari
Erode (East) – Gopinath Palaniyappan
Udhagamandalam – B Ramachandran
Kavundampalayam – KP Surya Prakash
Singanallur – V Shrinithi Naidu
Thuraiyur (SC) – M Vichu Lenin Prasath
Cuddalore – AS Chandrasekaran
Mayiladuthurai – Jamal Yunus Mohammed
Aranthangi – T Rama Chandhiran
Karaikudi – S Mangudi
Usilampatti – T Saravana Kumar
Sivakasi – Ganesan Ashokan
Tiruvadana – Rama Karumanickam
Srivaikuntam – S Oorvashi Amirtharaj
Sankarankovil (SC) – Sangai Ganeshan
Ambasamudram – VP Durai
Nanguneri – Ruby Manoharan
Colachel – Dr Tharagai Cuthbert
Vilavancode – TT Praveen
Killiyoor – S Rajesh Kumar