New faces among Cong, BJP candidates in central TN

Trichy: A sitting MLA as well as fresh faces are part of the Congress list of candidates for the assembly election in Trichy, Pudukottai and Mayiladuthurai districts. BJP, which is contesting in five segments in the region as part of AIADMK-led NDA, has given opportunity to senior district-level functionaries and emerging leaders in the delta region.T Ramachandran, sitting MLA and son of senior Congress leader Su Thirunavukkarasar, has been renominated from Aranthangi in Pudukottai district. He faces BJP's Kavitha Srikanth, state president of BJP's women's wing in the coastal constituency. In Thuraiyur (reserved) constituency in Trichy, Congress has fielded Lenin Prasath, a newcomer from Woraiyur. The 36-year-old, an engineer by education, is the national general secretary of Youth Congress. In Mayiladuthurai, Y N Jamal Mohamed Younoos is the Congress candidate. Younoos, 39, holds a diploma in computer science and is a realtor by profession. Mayiladuthurai's sitting Congress MLA S Rajakumar has been dropped. In BJP, state general secretary Karuppu M Muruganandham is contesting in Thanjavur. A prominent face of BJP in the delta, Muruganandham contested the Lok Sabha elections from Thanjavur in 2014 and 2024 but lost. Govi Chandru, 64, state vice-president of BJP's agriculture wing, is contesting from Tiruvarur. Chandru who joined BJP in 2019 is a farmer. In Pudukottai, BJP has fielded its district president N Ramachandran, and in Gandarvakottai (reserved), C Udhayakumar. This is the first time BJP is contesting in three seats in Pudukottai district.