The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has said that it would contest in 227 constituencies in Tamil Nadu in the 2016 Assembly elections. The party's general secretary and TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa declared that she will be contesting from R.K.Nagar constituency in Chennai.
Former DMK MLA Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, former DMDK MLAs Panruti S. Ramachandran and Mafoi K. Pandiarajan and PMK MLA M. Kalaiarasu who defected to the AIADMK have been given tickets by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the Assembly election.
She also fielded P.T. Elangovan, former PMK MP, who fell out with party founder S. Ramadoss, in Dharmapuri Assembly constituency.
Leaders of the AIADMK alliance have been allotted seven seats. Actor R. Sarathkumar, leader of the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (Tiruchendur) and comedian Karunas, leader of the Mukkulathor Pulipadi (Tiruvadanai) also secured a seat each.
Republican Party leader C.K. Tamilarasan (Maduranthagam-reserved) Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaignar Peravai leader U. Thaniarasu (Kangeyam), Manithaneya Makkal Katchi general secretary Thameeum Ansari (Nagapattinum or Ottanchathiram) and Tamil Maanila Muslim League leader Sheik Dawood (Kadayanallur) are other candidates.
Mr. Parithi Ilamvazhuthi has been allotted Egmore (reserved) constituency while Panruti S. Ramachandran and Pandiarajan will be contesting from Alandur and Avadi constituencies respectively. Mr Kalaiarasu will enter the fray from Anaikattu constituency, which elected him in the 2011 elections.
Even though a total of nine DMDK MLAs joined the AIADMK, only Mr. Pandiarajan and Ramachandran alone could get seats.
Here's the list of AIADMK candidates contesting the 2016 Assembly polls:
Jayalalithaa - R.K. Nagar
O. Panneerselvam - Bodinayakkanur Assembly
Former DGP R. Natraj - Mylapore
K.S. Vijaykumar - Gummidipoondi
P. Balaraman - Ponneri
P.M. Narashiman - Tiruttani
A Baskaran - Thiruvallur
V. Alexander - Ambattur
T.A. Ezhumalai - Poonamallee
O. Panneerselvam - Bodinayakkanur
D. Jayakumar - Royapuram
P. Dhanapal - Avinashi
Natham Vishwanathan - Aathur
Parithi Ellamvazhuthi - Egmore
Panruti Ramachandran - Alandur
C. Ponnaiyan - Saidapet
M.C. Munusamy - Velachery
K.S. Seenivasan - Harbour
V.N. Ravi - Virugambakkam
Saraswathi Rengasamy - Theagaraya Nagar
Leo N. Sundaram - Shollinganallur
M. Kothandapani - Thiruporur
K. Palani - Sriperumbudur
K.A. Senkotaiyan - Gobichettipalayam
Thousand Lights - Valarmathi
Karunas - Thiruvadanai
Gokula Indira - Anna Nagar
C.V. Elangovan - Pallavaram
V. Neelakandan - Thiru Vi Ka Nagar
Chitlapakkam Rajendran - Tambaram
R. Kamalakannan - Chengalpattu
Kasturi Vasu - Valparai
Arun Kumar - Coimbatore North
Arjunan - Coimbatore South
Singai Muthu - Singanallur
Velumani - Thondamuthur
A. Natarajan - Palladam
V. Senthil Balaji - Aravakurichi
Vinod - Udhagamandalam
Kalaichelvan - Gudalur
Ramu - Coonnor
O.K. Chinnaraj - Mettupalayam
Vijayakumar - Tirupur North
Easwaran - Bhavanisagar
Karupannan - Bhavani
Raja Krishnan - Anthiyur
V.P. Subramani - Modakuruchi
Ponnusamy - Dharapuram
A. Noor Jahan - Chepauk
Seval R. Velu - Vikravandi
Kumaraguru - Ulundurpet
Seval G. Kothandaraman - Thirukoyilur
Rajasekhar - Sankarapuram
Prabhu - Kallakurichi
C.V. Shanmugam - Villupuram
M. Chakrapani - Vaanur
Annadurai - Mailam
S.P. Rajendran - Tindivanam
Meghanathan - Vandavasi
Govindasamy - Gingee
Sevoor Ramachandran - Aarani
K. Mohan - Cheyyar
Sellur K. Raju - Madurai West
M. Jayapal - Madural Central
S.S. Saravanan - Madurai South
M.S. Pandian - Madurai North
M. Manikandan - Ramanathapuram
G. Venkatachalam - Salem West
K.R.S. Saravanan - Salem North
A.B. Sakthivel - Salem South
K.S. Thennarasu - Erode East
R. Varadharajan - Erode West
S. Tamizharasi - Tiruchi West
R. Manoharan - Tiruchi East
Nainar Nagendran - Tirunelveli
M. Vijaykumar - Nanguneri
Thalavai Sundaram - Kanyakumari
V. Dorothy Samson - Nagercoil
Alliance candidates:
Sarathkumar - Thiruchendur
A. Munusamy - Cheyyur