The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) has unveiled its candidates for five Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu ahead of the April 19 elections. Among them are B Parthasarathy for Chennai Central, K Nalla Thambi for Tiruvallur, P Sivakozhundu for Cuddalore, and P Sivanesan for Thanjavur. Vijaya Prabhakaran, son of DMDK founder Vijayakanth, is set to contest from Virudhunagar. DMDK is collaborating with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for the Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha elections, solidified through a recent seat-sharing agreement.
Simultaneously, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) disclosed its fourth list comprising 15 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, encompassing constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Notable selections include former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan for Chennai South and Annamalai for Coimbatore. AIADMK has nominated Singai G Ramachandran, head of the party’s IT wing, for the Coimbatore seat.
Voting for all 39 Tamil Nadu seats will occur on April 19, marking the commencement of the electoral process. In the preceding 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, comprising various parties such as Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, achieved a resounding victory, securing 38 out of 39 seats. DMK claimed 23 seats with a 33.2% vote share, while Congress and CPI respectively garnered 8 and 2 seats in Tamil Nadu.
Nationwide, the Lok Sabha elections, spanning 543 seats, will commence in seven phases, also beginning on April 19, with nearly 97 crore eligible voters poised to participate in the democratic process.
