Chennai, April 5 (IANS) With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled for April 23, political parties have entered the final phase of candidate selection and campaign mobilisation.

The Congress, a key ally in the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, has been allotted 28 constituencies for the 2026 Assembly elections. The party has now announced its candidate for the Melur Assembly constituency.

After days of internal discussions and reported differences among senior leaders, the Congress has finalised its candidate for Melur. The party has named P. Viswanathan as its nominee, bringing closure to speculation surrounding the seat.

According to party sources, the delay in announcing the Melur candidate stemmed from differing opinions between senior Congress leaders, including MPs Manickam Tagore and Karti Chidambaram.

There were also suggestions that a Youth Congress leader be fielded from the constituency. However, the final decision is believed to have been influenced by senior leader P. Chidambaram, whose intervention reportedly played a key role in Viswanathan’s selection.

P. Viswanathan is a seasoned Congress leader and a former Member of Parliament from the Kancheepuram constituency. He currently serves as a national secretary of the Congress and is also in charge of party affairs in Telangana.

Known for his organisational experience, Viswanathan had recently expressed interest in contesting from a general constituency, which has now materialised with his nomination from Melur.

Earlier, the Congress released a list of candidates for 27 constituencies across Tamil Nadu, including key seats such as Ponneri, Tiruperumbudur, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikudi, Sivakasi, Krishnagiri, and Ambasamudram, among others.

The party has fielded a mix of experienced leaders and fresh faces as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in the state.

With the announcement of Viswanathan’s candidature, the Congress has now completed its slate of nominees for all 28 constituencies allocated to it under the alliance arrangement.

The focus now shifts to campaign intensity, as the DMK-led alliance aims to retain power in Tamil Nadu amid a multi-cornered contest involving the AIADMK alliance and other regional players.

As the countdown to polling day begins, all eyes are on how these final candidate selections will influence electoral dynamics across key constituencies.

–IANS

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