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Published Nov 13, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 13, 2025 | 11:43 AM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin has called upon his party workers in Tirunelveli to defeat BJP’s state president Nainar Nagendran, the sitting MLA, in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Stalin has been personally meeting party functionaries as part of his outreach programme Udanpitappe Vaa, holding meetings with district secretaries and conducting SWOT analysis.
He is said to be going through reports from the districts in detail, asking pointed questions and directly issuing instructions.
Following these interactions, the DMK has been expediting its organisational restructuring — dividing districts, replacing or reassigning district secretaries, creating new posts, and delegating responsibilities — all in preparation for the elections expected in the first half of 2026.
On 6 November, Stalin met with party administrators from Tirunelveli district. During this meeting, he reportedly told them that the party’s key goal should be to defeat BJP’s Nagendran, who currently represents Tirunelveli in the state Assembly.
According to sources, Stalin told district functionaries that the DMK must “capture the whole of Tirunelveli,” making it one of the party’s top priorities for 2026.
The DMK has divided Tirunelveli into three organisational units: Central, East, and West. Recently, the East district was split into two sub-districts, East and West. Palayamkottai MLA Abdul Wahab heads the Central district, while Avudaiappan and Graham Bell are in charge of the East and West districts, respectively.
The district comprises five Assembly constituencies: Tirunelveli, Palayamkottai, Radhapuram, Nanguneri, and Ambasamudram. Radhapuram is the constituency of Speaker M Appavu.
Of these five seats, the DMK alliance has won three and the AIADMK alliance two in 2021.
While Stalin reportedly urged party leaders to aim for a clean sweep of all five seats, the DMK’s primary target, insiders said, is the Tirunelveli constituency itself.
When the BJP appointed Nagendran as its Tamil Nadu president, political circles viewed it as a strategic move to attract the Mukkulathor community vote base, the dominant one in the southern districts.
The DMK, in response, now aims to defeat him in his own stronghold. Party insiders from Tirunelveli said this has become a central agenda of the district unit.
The Tirunelveli constituency’s voter composition is complex: around 20–40 percent belong to the Vellalar community, especially the Pillai sub-group, which alone makes up about 20%. Dalits account for over 15 percent, while Mukkulathors and Nadars also have a notable presence.
Muslims, too, form a significant portion of the electorate. DMK leadership believe that if the BJP fields Nagendran again, nominating a strong candidate from another major community could decisively swing the contest in their favour.
In the 2021 Assembly election, the DMK fielded senior leader and former MLA ALS Lakshmanan, a member of the Pillai community, but he lost to Nagendran. Lakshmanan’s family has long held influence in Tirunelveli DMK politics, but internal party disputes — particularly between the district secretary and second-tier leaders — were said to have caused his defeat.
Now, the DMK is determined to win Tirunelveli at any cost. Several names are being discussed as possible candidates to take on Nagendran. Lakshmanan might seek a second chance, but his age could go against him.
Another potential candidate is Maalai Raja, from the Mukkulathor community, who had defeated Nagendran in 2006 and served as an MLA. But it is also notable that leadership may consider his community background this time.
Subramanian, the DMK’s Tirunelveli west corporation secretary and a member of the Pillai community, is also seen as a strong contender. He is said to be close to Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesan and has worked in the DMK youth wing since Stalin’s era, and was recently shifted to the IT wing.
Two other leaders, deputy district secretary SV Suresh and deputy mayor Rajiv — both from the Yadava community — are also reportedly in the race.
Stalin has urged the district functionaries to end internal rivalries and work unitedly for the 2026 elections. Sources added that he even resolved a few disputes at the Tirunelveli meeting.
With that, the DMK’s Tirunelveli unit has entered full election mode — with one clear objective in mind: to defeat Nagendran at any cost.
