Lok Sabha elections: BJP rolls up sleeves for TN fight, goes with state chief K Annamalai from Coimbatore

There is only woman candidate in the AIADMK list, Shimla Muthuchozhan. The daughter-in-law of former DMK minister S P Sarguna, who recently defected from the DMK, had in 2016 contested against the late AIADMK chief and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The other names in the AIADMK list include three-time MLA R Kumaraguru from Kallakurichi, the party’s IT wing president and an IIM-Ahmedabad alumni, Singai G Ramachandran, from Coimbatore, and Muthuchozhan from Tirunelveli.

Its debutants include P Karuppaiah from Tiruchi, N D Chandramohan from Perambalur and district secretary P Babu, son of ex-MLA Pounraj, from Mayiladuthurai.

The single-phase election in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on April 19, is staring at a three-cornered contest in some seats, with the BJP-led front giving voters an option. The BJP is contesting 20 seats, leaving 19 for its allies, including the PMK.

Apart from Annamalai, the BJP list includes Tamilisai Soundararajan, who resigned as Telangana Governor days ago, rejoined the party on Wednesday, and has been fielded from Chennai South. Other notable candidates include Union minister L Murugan from Nilgiris and Nainar Nagendran from Tirunelveli.

Sitting Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi MP T R Paarivendhar, who in 2019 won on the DMK ticket, is the BJP’s candidate from his home turf Perambalur. Despite speculation that a new face could be fielded by the BJP from Kanniyakumari, it has repeated Pon Radhakrishnan, the BJP’s 2014 MP from the seat.

Kanniyakumari and Coimbatore are the only two Lok Sabha seats ever won by the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Its two victories in Coimbatore came in the wake of the 1998 serial blasts in the town.

The younger generation in the BJP list includes Vinoj P Selvam from Chennai Central, A C Shanmugam from Vellore and C Narasimhan from Krishnagiri.