The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) today announced the first list of candidates for the May 2016 polls. The party has said that it will contest in 227 seats. Jayalalithaa will be contesting from R.K. Nagar constituency.

During the previous elections, the AIADMK had contested from 165 constituencies.

There are 31 women candidates this time, against 12 last time. Seven seats have been set aside for the allies. This time, however, the small parties will be contesting under the AIADMK’s two leaves symbol.

Returning empty-handed this time is the GK Vasan led Tamil Maanila Congress, who said that he wanted his party to enter into alliance with the ruling AIADMK. Also disappointed are seven of the nine sitting DMDK MLAs who joined the AIADMK recently. Only Mafoi Pandiarajan and Panruti S Ramachandran were given the tickets this time.

Many of the ministers who were accused of corruption found their names missing in the list of candidates.

Pudhucherry and Kerala elections

The AIADMK has announced that the party will go it alone in Pudhucherry and will contest in all the 30 seats. The party had struck up an alliance with the All India NR Congress (AINRC) during the 2011 elections. AIADMK won five seats.

Seven candidates will be fielded by the party in Kerala this time.