On March 21, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a significant announcement, by revealing the third list of candidates slated to participate in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections of 2024. This particular list was specifically dedicated to Tamil Nadu, encompassing a total of nine individuals who are nominated to represent the party in various constituencies within the state.
The announcement brought about a notable surprise as the BJP put forth K Annamalai, the state party president, as its candidate for the Coimbatore constituency. Among the prominent names listed alongside Annamalai are Tamilisai Soundararajan, the former Telangana Governor, who is set to contest from Chennai South, and Pon Radhakrishnan, a former minister in the Modi government and ex-MP from Kanniyakumari. Radhakrishnan is poised to face stiff competition in his constituency, battling against Congress candidate Vijay Vasanth and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham’s (AIADMK) Nazerath Pasilian.
Nainar Nagendran, another candidate listed, will be competing in Thoothukkudi, confronting DMK leader and sitting MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and AIADMK’s R Sivasamy Velumani. Nagendran currently holds the position of BJP’s sitting MLA in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, representing the Tirunelveli constituency.
Furthermore, the BJP made strategic decisions by awarding tickets to AC Shanmugam, the chief of Puthiya Needhi Katchi (PNK), for the Vellore constituency, and TR Paarivendhar, the leader of Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK), for the Perambalur Lok Sabha constituency. TR Paarivendhar, who contested and won the constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls under the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham’s (DMK) symbol, will face tough contenders including AIADMK’s ND Chandramohan and DMK candidate Arun Nehru.
The BJP also named L Murugan, a Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member, as its candidate for the Nilgiris constituency, where he is slated to challenge DMK’s A Raja and AIADMK’s D Lokesh Tamilselvan.
It’s worth mentioning that the BJP had previously announced its first and second lists of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, comprising 195 and 72 names respectively. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to contest from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, while Home Minister Amit Shah will vie for the Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat. The comprehensive list provides insight into the BJP’s strategic lineup as they prepare to engage with opposing parties in the upcoming elections.
The Lok Sabha elections for all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu will begin from phase one on April 19. These elections are part of the larger general elections, which are planned to unfold across seven phases. Vote counting is scheduled to take place on June 4.
After the announcement, Annamalai took it social media platform X and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Party National President JP Nadda and others for trusting in him. He assured that under the able leadership of PM Modi, Tamil Nadu will contribute significantly in crossing the 400 mark.
In X he wrote, “Heartfelt thanks to our beloved PM Thiru @narendramodi avl for constituting his faith in me and making me to contest from Coimbatore in the 2024 Parliamentary election. This comes at a time when the people of TN are awaiting a political change that will take TN towards the destiny of development.”
Heartfelt thanks to our beloved PM Thiru @narendramodi avl for constituting his faith in me and making me to contest from Coimbatore in the 2024 Parliamentary election. This comes at a time when the people of TN are awaiting a political change that will take TN towards the…
— K.Annamalai (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@annamalai_k) March 21, 2024
He added, “We are confident that @BJP4TamilNadu will significantly contribute to realising the 400+ seats for @BJP4India in the upcoming parliament elections!”
