In a significant pre-election maneuver, prominent political leaders across party lines in Tamil Nadu have begun actively cultivating new assembly constituencies, strongly indicating their potential shifts from their traditional strongholds for the crucial 2026 state elections. This strategic groundwork, observed during the recent Special Intensive Revenue (SIR) drive and through sustained local engagement, points to major churn in candidate placements well ahead of the polls.
AIADMK Veterans Scout for New Turf
Senior AIADMK leader and former minister C Ve Shanmugham, a three-time contender from Villupuram, has decided to move his base to the Mailam constituency. Mailam was won by the PMK in the 2021 assembly elections. Shanmugham has formally sought the party ticket for Mailam, citing his native village, Avvayarkuppam, is located within its limits. He stated his previous contests in Villupuram were on the allocation of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Party insiders suggest another factor is Mailam's significant Vanniyar population, a community to which Shanmugham belongs, which could be electorally favourable. His move comes after losing Villupuram to DMK's R Lakshmanan in 2021, who has since consolidated his position.
In a similar vein, former minister Sellur K Raju, a three-time MLA from Madurai West, has expressed interest in four different seats: Madurai North, South, West, and Central. He has submitted applications for all four, leaving the final decision to the party leadership. Raju is reportedly conducting ground-level work across all these segments to strengthen his case.
Another former AIADMK minister, Ma Foi K Pandiarajan, who contested twice and won once from Avadi, has sought tickets not only from Avadi but also from Virudhunagar, Sattur, and Rajapalayam. Pandiarajan is a native of Virudhunagar and belongs to the Nadar community, which forms a substantial vote bank in the Virudhunagar district, making this a strategically sound consideration.
BJP Leaders Also Consider Strategic Moves
The churn is not limited to the AIADMK. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is witnessing similar potential realignments among its top state leaders. Vanathi Srinivasan, the sitting MLA from Coimbatore South, is now focusing her attention on the Coimbatore North constituency. Interestingly, AIADMK's Amman Arjunan, who currently represents Coimbatore North, has reportedly sought a ticket for Coimbatore South, indicating a possible swap dynamic.
Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, who contested from Virugambakkam in the 2021 assembly polls, is evaluating a shift to the T Nagar constituency. She noted the party's strong performance across all six assembly segments within the Chennai South parliamentary constituency, from where she contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Soundararajan has begun reviewing SIR work and attending events in T Nagar, laying the groundwork for a potential candidacy.
Furthermore, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran is also exploring the possibility of moving from his current base in Tirunelveli to contest from Srivaikuntam in the neighbouring Thoothukudi district, according to party sources.
Decisions Rest with Party High Commands
Despite these visible preparations, all leaders have emphasized that the final decision on ticket allocation and constituency assignment rests solely with their respective party high commands. Leaders like Vanathi Srinivasan and Tamilisai Soundararajan have publicly stated their readiness to contest from any seat the party allocates to them. This public deference underscores the calculated nature of these early moves, which are essentially positioning exercises and expressions of interest ahead of formal party negotiations.
The widespread activity across both major opposition parties suggests a period of strategic recalibration. Leaders are assessing their prospects based on community demographics, native connections, past electoral performance, and perceived weaknesses in incumbent-held seats. This early jockeying for position sets the stage for a highly competitive and possibly reshuffled electoral battlefield in Tamil Nadu come 2026.
