Chennai, 29 Mar

TVK chief Vijay named his party's candidates for all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu for the April 23 elections on Sunday, announcing his electoral debut from two seats, including Perambur in Chennai, a city considered the ruling DMK's bastion.

In his maiden electoral battle, Vijay would also contest from Tiruchirappalli East in the central district of Tamil Nadu. The DMK has fielded RD Sekar from Perambur and retained Inigo Iruthayaraj in Tirchirappalli East.

"It will be C Joseph Vijay," from these two seats, the actor-politician emphatically announced amid loud cheers at a party functionaries' meet held at a popular 5-star hotel in the City.

On the occasion, he named and introduced his party nominees for the rest of the 232 seats, and the candidates included those from his coreteam.

Senior party leaders and Vijay's inner team members - N Anand, Adhav Arjuna, P Venkatramanan, R Arunraaj, CTR Nirmal Kumar and KA Sengkottaiyan were named by the party chief as TVK candidates for seats including T Nagar, Villivakkam, Gobichettipalayam and Thirupparankundram.

Former AIADMK minister Ku Pa Krishnan, who had joined the TVK earlier this year, has been fielded from Lalgudi.

Among the candidates are some former DMK and AIADMK leaders who had joined TVK over the period of time.

Reiterating that the electoral fight was between his "people's alliance TVK and Stalin sir alliance," he slammed the ruling DMK-led bloc as a mere "patch-up."

"I have selected as candidates, those who would stand with people," he said about his party nominees.

They were not mere candidates (vetpalargal), but "people's protectors," (makkal kappalargal), Vijay said and sought wholehearted support for them. He particularly exhorted the "Gen Z," to vote enmasse, for his party symbol whistle and also motivate those at their homes to support TVK candidates in the hustings.

"This is a poll battle of a generation," which was confined between the DMK and TVK and none else was in the race, he claimed.

Seeking to define the characteristics of an MLA, he said they should be one with impeccable personal integrity and not "loot" people.

Elections to 234 Assembly segments in the state will be held on 23 April.

Unveiling an agenda for youth, what he described as "guarantee," Vijay promised, among others, steps for drugs-free TN, collateral-free loan guarantee up to Rs 20 lakh from Class 12 to Phd.

He also introduced the party's Puducherry candidates for the 9 April polls in the Union Territory. He had already released the list of candidates.