CHENNAI: Even as Union Minister and BJP’s Tamil Nadu election in-charge Piyush Goyal arrived in Chennai to finalise the list of candidates for the upcoming elections, the national party did not release the list on Tuesday. Sources said the party is likely to finalise candidates within the next two days to ensure that candidates file their nominations by April 6.
Goyal, along with state BJP leaders including president Nainar Nagenthran and former presidents K Annamalai and Tamilisai Soundararajan, released a “chargesheet” against the DMK government, detailing alleged crimes against women during its tenure.
As per the document, sexual harassment cases increased from 1,414 in 2022 to 1,885 in 2024, while Pocso cases rose from 4,968 to 6,969 during the same period. It also claimed that cases of sexual assault increased from 3,260 to 5,319. It further listed instances in which DMK functionaries were allegedly involved.
Addressing reporters, Goyal said the ‘chargesheet’ also highlighted alleged corruption under the DMK regime. He added that several promises, including LPG subsidy, reduction in fuel prices and waiver of education and agricultural loans, remain unfulfilled.
Commenting on Vijay’s political entry, Goyal said the actor-politician lacks an understanding of the politics of Tamil Nadu. “He might get some votes, but I don’t think he can win even three or four seats,” he said, adding that popularity does not necessarily translate into electoral success.
Speaking after the meeting, Nagenthran said that the committee has finalised the list of three names for each constituency and sent it to the central leadership. The candidates would be announced once the parliamentary board approves the candidates. When asked if Annamalai’s name was part of the list, he said that everyone including women and youth have been included. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet all district functionaries during his visit to Chennai on April 4.