Overview
- Vinoth Gandhi, who had been named the DMK candidate for Ranipet, withdrew his candidacy on Monday, the final day for nominations, in a social media post.
- R. Gandhi, the Tamil Nadu Handlooms Minister and the sitting MLA from Ranipet, later that day filed his nomination with the Returning Officer as the DMK candidate.
- The DMK leadership had earlier denied R. Gandhi a ticket and announced his son, a state deputy secretary in the party’s environment wing, as the replacement.
- In his post, Vinoth Gandhi thanked DMK president M. K. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for the chance to run and said he stepped aside because his father wished to contest again.
- Reports also note that ministers Mano Thangaraj and Kayalvizhi Selvaraj were not fielded, reflecting a broader reshuffle as the centrally run candidate process reacts to tight filing deadlines.