File photograph used for representational purposes only

DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, released the list of 21 DMK candidates that include three women, for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. The list features 10 incumbents and 11 new faces.

Leader of the DMK Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha and party treasurer T.R. Baalu will contest again from Sriperumbudur, while DMK deputy general secretaries Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and A. Raja will re-enter the fray from Thoothukudi and Nilgiris (SC), respectively.

The party renominated its incumbents from all three Lok Sabha constituencies in Chennai: Kalanidhi Veerasamy (Chennai North); Dayanidhi Maran (Chennai Central) and Thamizhachi Thangapandian (Chennai South). The other incumbents in the list include S. Jagathrakshakan from Arakkonam, D.M. Kathir Anand from Vellore, K. Selvam from Kancheepuram (SC), and C. N. Annadurai from Tiruvannamalai.

A notable incumbent who did not figure in the list this time, is Gautham Sigamani (Kallakurichi), son of former T.N. Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy.

In Salem, the party has fielded a heavyweight, T. M. Selvaganapathy, a former AIADMK Minister, who joined the DMK in 2008. He was also earlier a DMK Rajya Sabha MP, but was disqualified following his conviction in a corruption case. However, last November, the Madras High Court set aside his conviction, facilitating his return to electoral politics.

In Theni, Thanga Thamizhselvan, a former AIADMK and AMMK man, who unsuccessfully fought against ex-Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam in the last Assembly elections, will test the waters.

The other candidates include A. Mani from Dharmapuri who replaces the popular (Dr.) S. Senthilkumar; M.S. Dharanivendhan from Arani; Malaiyarasan from Kallakurichi; K.E. Prakash from Erode; Ganapathy P. Rajkumar from Coimbatore; K. Eswarasamy from Pollachi; K.N. Arun Nehru from Perambalur; S. Murasoli from Thanjavur and Rani Srikumar from Tenkasi (SC).

The DMK has concluded seat-sharing arrangements with its allies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and has allotted 10 seats to the Congress (plus the single seat in Puducherry), two seats each to the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK, and one seat each each to the IUML, MDMK, and KMDK. Barring the Congress, all other parties in the DMK alliance have announced their candidates.