The ruling DMK has released the first list of 164 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026. The names of Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi are included in the list of candidates. Most of the ministers, MLAs and senior leaders have again been nominated by the party.

From where will Stalin-Udhayanidhi contest elections?

DMK chief Stalin released the first list of candidates while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters. He said that he will once again contest elections from Kolathur seat. Apart from this, Udayanithi will also be a candidate again from Chepauk-Triplicane seat here. Ministers Durai Murugan (DMK General Secretary), K N Nehru, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Thangam Thenarasu, MA Subramaniam and EV Velu have been given another chance by the party.

Ticket to Panneerselvam from Bodinayakkanur

O Panneerselvam, who joined DMK after being expelled from AIADMK, has been made the candidate from the same Bodinayakkanur seat which he represented in the outgoing Assembly. After joining DMK, he resigned as MLA. Panneerselvam’s two associates Paul Manoj Pandian and R Vaithilingam have also been given tickets. Former minister V Senthil Balaji has been made the candidate from Coimbatore South.

Congress will contest on 28 seats

Earlier, after the seat sharing formula was decided between DMK and its allies, the assembly seats to be contested by Congress and other parties including Left parties, VCK and DMDK were also finalized. According to the agreement, DMK’s ally Congress will contest on 28 seats, which include Ponneri, Erode East, Vilavancode, Sivakasi and Karaikudi. Premalatha Vijayakanth-led DMDK has already won 10 seats, including Virudhachalam and Pallavaram.

VCK led by Thol Thirumavalavan has got eight seats, which include Kattumannarkoil, Panrutty and Tindivanam. CPI(M) has got Padmanabhapuram and Palani seats, while CPI will contest from other seats including Thalli and Bhavanisagar (reserved). Both the left parties have been given five seats each. The DMK has also earmarked seats for other allies, including the Vaiko-led MDMK, which will contest from four seats. DMK will contest elections on 164 seats.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) expressed displeasure at the Tamil Nadu government over the attempt to delay the hearing of cases related to former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji. The court said that the state government is trying to delay the hearing of the cases related to Senthil Balaji by making more than 2,000 people accused in the cash scam in lieu of job.

Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi will hear the bench case on Wednesday. The bench yesterday described this effort as a complete fraud with the judicial system. The court directed to list all the pending cases related to Balaji before the Supreme Court and set the next hearing for Wednesday.

Justice Suryakant said, ‘We would like to know who were the middlemen other than the minister? Who were the officers working on the minister’s recommendations? Who were the members of the selection committee? Who were the appointment officers? The bench said that it seems that the state government is trying to ensure that the hearing in cases cannot be completed during Balaji’s lifetime.

The court said that poor people, who were forced to pay money by former ministers or their operatives, are being implicated as bribes and accused in the cases related to the scam.

The bench said to senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Amit Anand Tiwari, appearing on behalf of the state government, ‘You (the state) are more keen to prosecute them, so that the cases of cases are not complete during the lifetime of the minister. This is your functioning. This is complete fraud with the system.

Abhishek Mun Singhvi Amit And And Tiwari claimed that the petitioner Y Balaji scam victims are adopting the path of forum shopping by directly moving the Supreme Court instead of the High Court. Forum shopping means deliberately choosing the court or jurisdiction on behalf of the litigants to hear their cases, which they believe that they are likely to get a more favorable decision.

Senior Advocate Gopal Shankaranarayanan, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, accused the Tamil Nadu government of collusion with the former minister and attempting to hang the trial of the trial. The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by Y Balaji, in which the Madras High Court’s order of March 28 was challenged. The High Court had dismissed the petitions filed against the combination of chargesheets simultaneously in cases related to the alleged scam.

According to the report filed by the judge of a subordinate court in April, there are about 2,300 accused in cases related to former Tamil Nadu minister in the cash scam in exchange for jobs. V Senthil Balaji resigned from the State Cabinet led by Chief Minister MK Stalin on 27 April after the Supreme Court rebuke.

On 23 April, the Supreme Court had asked Balaji to choose one of the posts and freedom. The court warned him that if he does not resign from the post of minister, his bail would be canceled.