The Congress has given tickets to 11 of its sitting MLAs in Tamil Nadu for the April 23 Assembly elections, revealing its move to reward performance and experience. The Grand-Old Party, which is part of the state’s ruling alliance led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on Friday (April 3) released its first list of 27 candidates for the 28 seats it will contest this year. The face for the remaining seat, Melur in Madurai district, is expected to be announced either Friday night or Saturday (April 4) morning.
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GKM Tamil Kumaran, son of former PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) leader GK Mani, who recently joined the Congress, is one of the surprises in the name. He has been fielded from Pennagaram constituency in Dharmapuri district, which is currently held by his father, who won there in the 2021 polls.
The Congress has announced its first candidate list for Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, comprising 27 names.
The names of the 27 picked candidates were revealed in a press release by the All-India Congress Committee, signed by K Venugopal, general secretary (organisation).
The Congress, which contested 25 seats in the 2021 elections as part of the DMK’s alliance, won 18, significantly boosting its representation in the state legislature and reinforcing its position as a key partner in the ruling bloc.
The battle of Pennagaram
The battle in Pennagaram will be closely watched this time. G K Mani, a veteran Vanniyar leader and long-time associate of PMK founder S Ramadoss, has represented the constituency multiple times since. Ramadoss, whose fight with son Anbumani has rattled the party, recently elevated Tamil Kumaran to the post of the PMK’s youth wing president, sparking an internal rebellion.
Tamil Kumaran, a prominent Tamil film producer and former president of the Tamil Film Producers Council, consequently resigned.
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After he formally joined the Congress in New Delhi in the presence of Venugopal and the party president, Mallikarjun Kharge, the party saw it as an opportunity to woo the Vanniyar voters in Tamil Nadu’s northern and northwestern belts, areas where the ruling alliance has not done too well historically.
Unhappy voices in Congress over Tamil Kumaran
However, there have been counter voices even within the Congress.
Senior TN Congress Committee leaders, including former president KV Thangkabalu, MP Karti P Chidambaram, and MP S Jothimani, publicly opposed handing a seat to Tamil Kumaran soon after his induction. Critics argued he should first “prove loyalty” by working at the grassroots. Many see it as a ploy by the high command to bypass traditional party channels.
DMK-Congress tensions persist
The announcement of the candidates’ names also comes amid ongoing undercurrents of tension between the two alliance partners, which burned a significant amount of midnight oil to cement the seat-sharing arrangement.
In a fiery speech at a DMK public meeting in Madurai in January, Madurai North MLA and district secretary G Thalapathy launched a scathing attack on Congress. He accused MPs Manickam Tagore and Jothimani of demanding ministerial berths and power-sharing despite the Congress having “only 2,000–3,000 votes per booth” and lacking organisational strength at the ground level.
Thalapathy also urged his party leadership not to concede seats to such “weak” partners.
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The Congress did not take it lightly. Leaders such as Selvaperunthagai, Tagore, and Jothimani condemned Thalapathy’s remarks and asked Chief Minister M K Stalin to school Thalapathy for allegedly damaging alliance unity.
Even though the Congress managed to get more seats than its 2021 tally of 25, its challenges in managing the dynamics with a senior ally are far from over.
Results of a highly polarised Tamil Nadu election will be announced on May 4.
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