Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha elections 2024: Spotlight on crucial constituencies and candidates

The voting for the first phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections has wrapped up in all 39 constituencies of Tamil Nadu. Around 62.3 million voters will determine the fate of 950 candidates across 68,000 polling stations. It marks a three-way contest between the incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK-led coalition secured a landslide victory in the state, claiming 38 out of 39 seats. The DMK itself won 24 seats, with the Congress securing eight seats, and the CPI and CPM each obtaining two seats. Additionally, the VCK and IUML each won one seat.

The BJP, which failed to win any seats previously, has made significant investments in Tamil Nadu for this election.

Here are some key candidates and constituencies to watch out for in Tamil Nadu:

Coimbatore: This bustling hub in western Tamil Nadu is an important electoral battle field. State BJP chief K Annamalai is in the running, facing off against DMK leader Ganapathy P Rajkumar and AIADMK's Singai Ramachandran. Annamalai, who left his post as an IPS officer to enter politics, has pledged to bring the Indian Institute of Management, as well as the offices of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), to Coimbatore.

Thoothukkudi: Situated in southern Tamil Nadu, this constituency boasts a diverse field of 28 contenders, including DMK leader and incumbent MP Kanimozhi, who triumphed over BJP's Tamilisai Soundararajan in 2019.

Chennai Central: With six assembly constituencies under its purview, this seat is a tight competitionbetween BJP's Vinoj P Selvam and DMK's former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran.

Nilgiris: Anticipate a triangular tussle here, with DMK's A Raja, AIADMK's Logesh Tamil Selvan, and BJP's L Murugan vying for victory.

Chennai South: Former Telangana Governor and BJP stalwart Tamilisai Soundararajan is making her bid here, going up against DMK's T Sumathy and former AIADMK MP J Jayavardhan.

Ramanathapuram: Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Paneerselvam (OPS) has thrown his hat into the ring in this constituency, competing against AIADMK's Jayaperumal and K Navaskani from the Indian Union Muslim League.

Sivaganga: Expect a three-way battle in this constituency, with incumbent Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, BJP's Devanathan Yadav, and AIADMK's A Xavierdas vying for victory.

(With inputs from agencies)