BJP Announces Candidates For Tamil Nadu Elections 2026; Several Heavyweights In 27-strong List

Chennai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls inTamil Nadu. The party has allotted tickets to several prominent leaders in this list. Under the seat-sharing agreement, the BJP has secured a total of 27 seats in Tamil Nadu.

For the Mylapore constituency, the BJP has fielded Tamilisai Soundararajan—the former Governor of Telangana and a stalwart BJP leader. Additionally, the names of several other senior leaders are also included in the list. Under the seat-sharing agreement, the BJP has secured a total of 27 seats in Tamil Nadu. Voting in Tamil Nadu is scheduled to take place on April 23. The BJP's list features the names of Vanathi Srinivasan, the National President of the BJP Mahila Morcha (Women's Wing), and State President Nainar Nagendran.

Ticket given to Union Minister L. Murugan?

The BJP has fielded heavyweight figures in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. K. Annamalai had previously declined to contest the polls. L. Murugan is among the prominent faces representing the BJP. He currently serves as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs. Prime Minister Modi has frequently visited his residence in Delhi on the occasions of Tamil Nadu's festivals. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly comprises 234 seats. In the 2021 elections, the BJP secured victory in four constituencies.

Amidst what is expected to be a triangular contest, the BJP has placed its bets on these prominent faces. Judging by the candidates selected in the BJP's list, it appears that the party's State President, Nainar Nagendran, has emerged as the dominant influence in the selection process. In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had garnered 11 percent of the votes—marking its best electoral performance to date.

Have Three Sitting MLAs Been Renominated?

In the list announced for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the BJP has fielded a total of five women candidates. The party has renominated three of the four sitting MLAs who won in the previous election, while making a change in the Modakkurichi constituency. For this seat, the party has fielded a female candidate; specifically, the BJP has given the opportunity to Keerthika Sivakumar. In the 2021 elections, the BJP had secured victories across four districts. These included Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, and Erode. The MLAs who have been renominated include State President Nainar Nagendran, Vanathi Srinivasan, and M.R. Gandhi.

Why was PM Modi's Chennai roadshow cancelled?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in Chennai, scheduled for Saturday as part of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign, has been cancelled. Although PM Modi will still arrive in Chennai as per his pre-scheduled itinerary, the roadshow planned for the city's T. Nagar locality will not take place. The cancellation stems from confusion surrounding the BJP's list of candidates. It is for this very reason that PM Modi's Chennai roadshow was called off. In the state, the BJP is contesting the elections as part of an alliance led by the AIADMK.

According to reports, PM Modi has cancelled his roadshow in T. Nagar, Chennai—originally scheduled for Saturday—due to the ongoing confusion within the BJP regarding the finalization of the party's candidate list for Tamil Nadu. Party sources further revealed that a meeting, scheduled to be held during the Chennai visit with approximately 150 party workers—including state-level office bearers and district secretaries—has also been cancelled. Amidst these developments, the Prime Minister is now set to hold a roadshow in Puducherry with the objective of campaigning for NDA candidates. Voting for the 234 seats of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is scheduled to take place on April 23.