The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its high-stakes candidate list for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Friday. In a move that surprised many, former IPS officer and state veteran K. Annamalai did not feature in the final list, despite heavy speculation regarding his candidacy from Coimbatore (North). The party has retained sitting MLA Vanathi Srinivasan for the seat.

Key highlights of the list include Union Minister L. Murugan contesting from Avinashi (SC) and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan entering the fray from the prestigious Mylapore constituency. The strategic deployment of senior leaders underscores PM Modi and Amit Shah’s resolve to penetrate the Dravidian stronghold. Tamil Nadu goes to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with the final verdict on May 4.