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NTK Fields 234 Candidates with Gender Parity, Seeman to Contest from Karaikudi

The Naam Tamilar Katchi has released its complete list of 234 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, ensuring equal gender representation with 117 men and 117 women. Party Chief Coordinator Seeman will contest from the Karaikudi constituency, currently held by Congress. The party, which failed to win a seat in the 2021 elections despite contesting all constituencies, is positioning itself as an agent of change. The 2026 polls are shaping up to be a multi-cornered contest involving the DMK-led alliance, the BJP-AIADMK alliance, and new entrants like Vijay's TVK.

Key Points: NTK's Full Candidate List for 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls

  • Full slate of 234 candidates announced
  • Equal gender representation with 117 men and 117 women
  • Party chief Seeman to contest from Karaikudi
  • Aims to open account after 2021 shutout
  • Election sets up multi-cornered contest
2 min read

Tamil Nadu: NTK releases list of 234 candidates for Assembly polls, party's chief coordinator Seeman to contest from Karaikudi

Naam Tamilar Katchi announces 234 candidates, including Seeman from Karaikudi, with equal gender representation for the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections.

"Change is not a word but an action. - NTK IT Cell"

Tiruchirappalli, February 21

The Naam Tamilar Katchi on Saturday released its full list of 234 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections at the 'Maatrathai Virumbum Makkal Maanadu' held at Alampatti Pudur in Tiruchirappalli.

Party's Chief Coordinator Seeman announced that he will be contesting from the Karaikudi Assembly constituency. Currently, Congress leader S Mangudi is serving as the Karaikudi MLA. NTK gave a ticket to N Durai Manickam on the Karaikudi seat in the 2021 polls.

According to the party, the list of candidates comprises 117 men and 117 women candidates, ensuring equal representation in the electoral fray.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, NTK could not open its seat tally, even after contesting on all 234 seats. The party will look to change its fortune in the 2026 polls.

Earlier, NTK IT Cell called for a change in the Tamil Nadu government, and wrote in an X post, "Change is not a word but an action. This is a conference of people who want change. This is a festival of our race. Let's all come together. Evil governance ends. Pure governance flourishes. Corrupt money-making ends. Honourable democracy flourishes. A revolution of the common people for fundamental, institutional, political change."

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the 'Dravidian Model 2.0' for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance. Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to turn the Tamil Nadu polls into a three-way contest.

In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively.

While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
Seeman contesting from Karaikudi is interesting. But NTK's problem has always been converting their strong social media presence into actual votes. With Vijay's TVK also entering, the anti-establishment vote might get split further. 2026 is going to be very complex! 🤔
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Rahul R
Respectfully, I think NTK needs to move beyond just fiery speeches and social media posts. They got zero seats last time. Where is the ground-level work and concrete policy for Tamil Nadu's development? Equal gender representation is good, but what about their economic vision?
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Meera T
As a voter from Tamil Nadu, I appreciate any party that talks about change from the current corruption. But the reality is a three-way contest might just help the ruling alliance by dividing the opposition. We need smart voting, not just emotional voting.
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Karthik V
117 women candidates! That's a powerful statement. Whether you agree with NTK or not, this forces other parties to think about women's representation. Hope this starts a trend in Tamil Nadu politics. More power to the women candidates! 💪
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Andrew M
Following Tamil Nadu politics from outside. The entry of multiple regional parties like NTK and TVK shows a vibrant democracy. The Dravidian model vs BJP alliance narrative is being challenged. Will be fascinating to see if a third front gains traction.

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