The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, March 22, 2024, released its final list of candidates entering the fray from Tamil Nadu for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
New entrant, actor Radikaa Sarathkumar has been fielded from the Virudhunagar seat. Ms. Radikaa’s candidature came a few days after her husband R. Sarathkumar, merged his political outfit, the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi with the BJP. Mr. Sarathkumar, who had stints in both the DMK and the AIADMK, had previously served as a member of the Rajya Sabha and the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
The party is fielding advocate R.C. Paul Kanagaraj from Chennai North; Pon.V. Balaganapathy from Tiruvallur (SC); A. Ashwathaman from Tiruvannamalai; A.P. Muruganandham from Tiruppur; V. Vasantharajan from Pollachi and V.V. Senthilnathan from Karur.
For the Namakkal seat, the BJP has decided to field its regional war-horse K.P. Ramalingam, who has had a long stint with both the DMK and the AIADMK. Another notable candidate entering the fray is P. Karthiyayini, former Vellore Mayor. She will face the polls from the Chidambaram (SC) seat.
The other candidates include SGM Ramesh from Nagapattinam (SC); M. Muruganandham from Thanjavur and Rama Sreenivasan from Madurai. Indhiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam president Devanadhan Yadav and Thamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam president John Pandian will contest on the BJP’s ‘Lotus’ symbol from the Sivaganga and Tenkasi (SC) seats, respectively.
The BJP also fielded Puducherry Home Minister A. Namassivayam from Puducherry’s lone Lok Sabha seat.
Out of the 23 candidates who will be contesting on the Lotus symbol from Tamil Nadu, three are women. The other NDA partners, including the PMK and TMC (M), have also announced their list of candidates, barring those of a few seats.
In the Vilavancode Assembly bypoll, the BJP has fielded V.S. Nanthini. The seat had fallen vacant after its legislator S. Vijayadharani quit the Congress and joined the BJP recently.
