The opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Wednesday announced its first list of 23 candidates, fielding its general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami from the Edappadi constituency for the April 23 Tamil Nadu assembly elections. EPS, the 71-year-old leader of the Opposition in the assembly, has represented the Edappadi constituency since 2011 (PTI)

The party also announced that it will contest 169 assembly seats, and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will contest in 65 constituencies. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest from 27 constituencies, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will contest in 18, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) in 11, and the Tamil Manilaa Congress (TMC) in 5.

Smaller parties such as the Indhiya Jananayaka Katchi (IJK) got two seats. The Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) and Puratchi Bharatham were allotted one seat each.

The first list was announced a day after the party announced 297-point election manifesto for the assembly elections, assuring monthly allowance of ₹2,000 for every woman in the state and a one-time support of ₹10,000 per family to offset rising costs. The manifesto also promised additional ration benefits such as dal along with rice, distribution of refrigerators and three free cooking gas cylinders per year for ration card holders. It also offered free bus rides to men. Bus rides are already free for women.

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Palaniswami, popularly known as EPS, served as the seventh chief minister of Tamil Nadu from 2017 to 2021. The 71-year-old leader of the Opposition in the assembly has represented the Edappadi constituency since 2011, and previously from 1989 to 1996. Born in Salem district, Palaniswami hails from an agrarian family and identifies himself as a farmer.

K P Munusamy, AIADMK deputy general secretary, was fielded from Veppanahalli. He served as the municipal administration and rural development minister in the J Jayalalithaa cabinet from 2011 to 2016, and also was the party’s Rajya Sabha MP (2020–2021) before resigning to take his seat in the state assembly after the 2021 elections.

D Jayakumar, a former state minister and former assembly speaker, will contest from his home constituency of Royapuram, where he was elected in 1991, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016. He unsuccessfully contested the 2021 election. He is currently the AIADMK organising secretary.

The party’s Rajya Sabha MP C V Shanmugam — a four-time MLA who was earlier the minister of education, law and commercial taxes from 2003 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2013 — was fielded from Mailam.

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Former health minister C Vijayabaskar is seeking re-election from Viralimalai. Dindigul C Sreenivasan, party treasurer who served as minister for forests from 2016 to 2021, will fight from Dindigul.

Natham R Viswanathan, deputy general secretary of the party, got the ticket from Natham. S P Velumani, currently MLA from Thondamuthur, was renominated. Former state minister P Thangamani is seeking re-election from Kumarapalayam.

Another former state minister Sellur K Raju was renominated from Madurai West, from where he won in 2011, 2016 and 2021. K P Anbalagan, former higher education minister, was fielded from Palacode where he registered his first victory in 2001.

The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which also includes the Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the AIADMK with the BJP and PMK as allies.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to make his electoral debut with TVK, attempting to turn the upcoming elections into a three-way contest.

The ruling alliance is yet to declare its candidates and manifesto.

(With agency inputs)