Chennai: In a significant early push ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran has initiated the process of shortlisting candidates for all 234 constituencies, even before finalising alliance arrangements.
The move signals an aggressive election strategy by the party, which is aiming for a full-scale revival ahead of the polls.
According to party sources, AMMK has begun issuing expression of interest forms to aspirants who wish to contest on the party ticket.
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The forms will be distributed from December 10 to December 18 at zonal offices and the party headquarters.
By starting the candidate identification exercise much earlier than major political rivals, the AMMK leadership hopes to identify strong contenders, map favourable constituencies, and give adequate time for grassroots mobilisation.
A former MLA, who was among the 18 legislators disqualified in 2017 for supporting Dhinakaran in the leadership tussle within the AIADMK, confirmed that the party has internally decided to set aside seats for eight of the disqualified former MLAs who continue to remain loyal to him.
“These eight leaders have stood by Dhinakaran through every political storm. The general secretary has already assured them tickets for 2026, irrespective of alliance decisions,” the ex-MLA said.
Party sources further revealed that Dhinakaran has instructed all prospective candidates to begin groundwork immediately.
Local-level meetings, booth committee strengthening, and constituency mapping have reportedly begun in several districts.
Leaders describe the directive as a “calculated early bird strategy” intended to give the AMMK a strong head start before major alliances crystallise in early 2026.
The early candidate selection exercise comes after Dhinakaran contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Theni as part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Although he lost closely to the DMK candidate in a high-profile triangular fight, the AMMK chief’s presence in the NDA camp and his campaign impact were widely noted in national and State political circles.
AMMK functionaries believe the 2024 experience has reinforced Dhinakaran’s focus on strengthening the party’s independent organisational machinery ahead of the Assembly polls.
With the distribution of application forms and early mobilisation now underway, the AMMK is positioning itself as one of the first parties to kickstart structured poll preparations for 2026 – a move that could reshape alliance negotiations and electoral equations in the coming months.