The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced its first list of candidates for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, but notably, K Annamalai does not feature among those contesting.
In a press release issued on 3 April 2026, the party’s Central Election Committee cleared 27 candidates across key constituencies in the state.
The list includes prominent names such as Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, L Murugan from Avanashi (SC), and Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore (North). Senior leader Nainar Nagenthran has been fielded from Sattur, while M.R. Gandhi will contest from Nagercoil.
Other candidates include M. Rajasimha Mahindra (Avadi), C. Elumalai (Tiruvannamalai), S. Thangaraj (Tiruppur South), and Govi Chandru (Thiruvarur), Avadi – M. Rajasimha Mahindra (M. Ashwiinkumar).
Others include Dr. Nagesh Kumar (Thalli), Dr. S.D. Premkumar (Rasipuram (SC)), Kirthika Shivkumar (Modakkurichi), Bhojarajan (Udhagamandalam), M. Muruganandam (Thanjavur), C. Udhayakumar (Gandharvakottai (SC)), N. Ramachandran (Pudukkottai), Kavitha Srikanth (Aranthangi), K.C. Thirumaran (Tiruppattur), Pon. V. Balaganapathy (Manamadurai (SC)), and
Prof. Raama Sreenivasan (Madurai South).
Others include GBS K. Nagendran (Ramanathapuram), KRM Radhakrishnan (Tiruchendur), Ananthan Ayyasamy (Vasudevanallur (SC)), S.P. Balakrishnan (Radhapuram), T. Sivakumar (Colachel), P. Ramesh (Padmanabhapuram) and
S. Vijayadharani (Vilavancode).
However, the absence of K Annamalai from the list has drawn attention, given his high-profile role as the party’s former state chief and among its principal face in Tamil Nadu politics.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
