Sitting and former MLAs figure in AIADMK’s list of candidates in Madurai, Virudhunagar districts Melur MLA P. Periyapullan, also known as Selvam, has been re-nominated by the AIADMK for the 2026 Assembly polls in his Melur constituency, joining other sitting MLAs like Sellur K. Raju, R.B. Udayakumar, and V.V. Rajan Chellappa. Mr. Periyapullan previously won the Melur seat in 2016 and 2021. The AIADMK, which secured five of ten Assembly constituencies in Madurai district in the last election, is now fielding three former MLAs from the region. Among them is P. Saravanan, a former DMK MLA from Thirupparankundram, who was nominated for the Madurai North constituency. He had previously contested the same seat as a BJP candidate in 2021 and later joined the AIADMK, running for the Madurai Lok Sabha seat in 2024 but losing that contest. Other former MLAs include K. Manickam, who contested Sholavandan (SC) constituency, and I. Mahendran, who won the Usilampatti seat in 2006 on AIADMK ticket but lost it in 2021. The AIADMK has also nominated Mangulam K. Mahendran, its party advocate wing deputy secretary, for the Madurai East constituency to challenge DMK minister P. Moorthi. The NDA has yet to announce candidates for Madurai South and Madurai Central. In Virudhunagar district, former Srivilliputtur MLA M. Chandra Prabha, who was denied a party ticket in 2021, has been re-nominated for the Srivilliputtur (SC) seat. Intra-party conflicts in 2021 affected her electoral prospects, as the party preferred E.M. Manraj over her. While Manraj won in 2021 with a smaller margin, the AIADMK has now reinstated Chandra Prabha, replacing Manraj. The party also introduced new candidates in Virudhunagar, including industrialist V.G. Ganesan for the Virudhunagar constituency and S. Sethupathi, the Aruppukottai town secretary, for the Aruppukottai seat.#aiadmk #madurai #melur #virudhunagar #selvam
