The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, on Sunday announced candidates for all 30 Assembly constituencies in Puducherry, putting an end to speculation about a possible alliance.
The Union Territory will go to the polls on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4.
Among key candidates, A.K. Sai J. Saravanan Kumar—who quit the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday—has been fielded from the Thirubhuvanai (reserved) constituency. He resigned from the saffron party after being denied a ticket to contest again from the Oussudu (reserved) segment.
Former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislators K.A.U. Asana and L. Periyasamy will contest from Karaikal (South) and Nettapakkam (reserved) constituencies, respectively.
The party has also fielded V. Saminathan, former Puducherry unit president of the BJP, from the Lawspet constituency. Other notable candidates include former Deputy Inspector General of Police V.J. Chandran and former Congress legislator N. Dhanavelou.
Meanwhile, the BJP—currently in alliance with the All India N.R. Congress—released its first list of nine candidates on March 21.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the AINRC emerged as the single largest party with 10 seats, followed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam with six seats, while both the BJP and the Congress secured six seats each.
Separately, TVK has also announced that it will contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections independently, dismissing speculation about talks with the BJP and the AIADMK.
Vijay reiterated that TVK aims to form the government under its own leadership, stressing that there will be no compromise on the party’s secular ideology.
