1. Vijay Picks Perambur and Trichy East: TVK Makes Its Electoral Debut
The morning of March 29 belonged to one name in Tamil Nadu politics. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay unveiled his party’s candidates for all 234 Assembly constituencies at a hotel in Nungambakkam, announcing that he himself would contest from Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli East.
Perambur, one of the largest assembly segments in Chennai with over 2.20 lakh voters, and Trichy East were chosen to improve the chances of at least one win, giving Vijay a foothold in the assembly. Former AIADMK leader K A Sengottaiyan, who recently joined TVK, has been fielded from Gobichettipalayam. TVK General Secretary N Anand will contest from T Nagar, and party treasurer P Venkataraman from Mylapore.
Vijay framed the contest as a straight fight between TVK and the DMK, dismissing the ruling alliance as a “patch-up.” He promised monthly assistance of Rs 4,000 for graduates and Rs 2,000 for diploma holders, alongside a drug-free Tamil Nadu and zero-tolerance approach to corruption. Whether star power translates to votes on April 23 remains the defining question of this election.
2. DMK Releases Candidate List; Stalin Confident, Congress MP Cries Foul
Chief Minister MK Stalin released DMK’s candidate list on Saturday, with the party contesting 164 of 234 constituencies. Of 34 sitting ministers, 28 have been re-nominated, while four have been denied tickets.
Stalin will defend his Kolathur seat, and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin seeks re-election from Chepauk. Former minister Senthil Balaji has been shifted to the high-profile Coimbatore South constituency. After the announcement, Stalin placed the candidate list at the Karunanidhi Memorial on Marina Beach.
The announcement was not without friction. Congress MP Jothimani from Karur alleged a total lack of transparency in the seat selection process, saying party interests had been “completely compromised” and that discussions were rejected by those in charge. With nominations opening March 30, the campaign trail is now fully open.
3. AIADMK Drops Third Candidate List; Key Chennai Seats Announced
The AIADMK on Sunday unveiled its third list of candidates for the April 23 elections, announcing nominees for key constituencies in Chennai. The party is contesting 169 seats under the NDA banner, with allies BJP, PMK, and AMMK sharing the remaining 65.
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami will contest from his home turf of Edappadi, contesting the seat for the fifth time, having staked his personal reputation on the outcome. Observers note that AIADMK has strategically avoided direct contests against 14 sitting DMK ministers, opting to assign those constituencies to alliance partners — a tactical concession that has drawn scrutiny.
4. Election Flying Squad Seizes Rs 4.7 Crore in Maduravoyal
Cash is moving — and the Election Commission is watching. A flying squad intercepted a vehicle on the Vanagaram-Ambattur service road in Maduravoyal constituency and seized Rs 4.7 crore in cash. Initial inquiries suggested the money was a collection from TASMAC outlets on the city’s outskirts, but the occupants could not produce valid documents.
This comes days after the Election Commission’s flying squad seized gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 77.29 crore in Ashok Nagar under the T Nagar constituency, intercepting around 381 kg of ornaments being transported without proper paperwork. With nominations beginning Monday and polling on April 23, enforcement activity across Chennai is only going to intensify.
5. Poll Surveys Put DMK Ahead, but TVK Emerges as Wild Card in Chennai
With all major parties now having declared their candidates, pre-poll surveys are beginning to frame the arithmetic. A Vote Vibe survey predicts the DMK alliance will win 113 to 123 seats, the AIADMK alliance 106 to 116, and TVK between 2 and 8 seats.
A separate survey by Parawheel puts the vote share at DMK 41.5%, AIADMK 36.2%, and TVK emerging as the third major force — and notably, TVK is predicted to be the second strongest party in the Chennai region specifically. With no significant anti-incumbency wave recorded this election cycle, the ruling DMK goes in as the frontrunner. But in a city where TVK has canvassed hard and Vijay now contests personally from Perambur, Chennai’s seats could yet spring a surprise.
