Tamil Nadu elections 2026: As L Murugan eyes second assembly bid, DMK bets on a 28-year-old doctor from Avinashi
Tamil Nadu's Avinashi (SC) constituency in Tirupur district is set to witness a direct contest between a Union minister and a first-generation government doctor when the state goes to polls on April 23.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, L. Murugan, has been fielded by the BJP from the Avinashi (SC) assembly segment. He had earlier contested from Dharapuram in the 2021 elections, where he lost to DMK's N. Kayalvizhi by 1,393 votes.
Under the NDA seat-sharing arrangement for Tamil Nadu, the BJP has been allotted 27 of the 234 constituencies, with AIADMK contesting 169 seats as the alliance's lead party.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026: NTK’s Seeman rejects freebies, positions self as Tamil nationalist alternative
DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin has named Dr V Kokilamani, a 28-year-old government doctor from the Arunthathiyar community, as the party's candidate for Avinashi.
Who Is Dr Kokilamani?
Born on March 20, 1998, in Thirumalaikoundanpalayam village in Avinashi taluk, Tirupur district, Kokilamani belongs to the Arunthathiyar community. Her father, Venkittan, is an agricultural labourer who has served as the DMK branch secretary of Thirumalaikoundanpalayam for the past 15 years. Her mother, Venkittammal, is also an agricultural labourer.
She studied in government and aided institutions, completing her schooling at the local government high school in Thirumalaikoundanpalayam. Kokilamani resigned from her government posting at a primary health centre earlier this year to join active politics under the DMK banner, though reports differ on whether she served at Nambiyampalayam PHC or the Avinashi PHC before stepping down. Since 2022, she has been the deputy organiser of the DMK's Seyur union medical wing.
DMK has said that Kokilamani pursued her MBBS degree under the 3% internal reservation for Arunthathiyars, a provision introduced in 2009 by the late party patriarch M Karunanidhi during his tenure as chief minister.
Who is L Murugan?
Born in Namakkal district in 1977, Murugan holds a PhD in law from the University of Madras and is a Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh. He has been serving as Union Minister of State since July 2021. Murugan is the first person from the Arunthathiyar community to be appointed a Union minister since Independence. Both he and the DMK's candidate, Kokilamani, belong to the same community.
Why is Avinashi of importance to AIADMK?
Avinashi has been an AIADMK stronghold for most of the last four decades, with the exception of the 1996 elections. The party ceded the seat to BJP as part of the NDA seat-sharing agreement. AIADMK insiders have said the move also served to deny a ticket to sitting MLA P Dhanapal, who had publicly criticised party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. Dhanapal's son Lokesh Tamilselvan subsequently joined TVK and is contesting from Rasipuram. Murugan has since met Dhanapal and sought his support ahead of the polls.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Polls: "Our goal is to form government again," says EPS
The contest in Avinashi is not limited to the DMK and BJP. TVK, the party founded by actor-turned-politician Vijay, announced it would contest all 234 constituencies and released its full candidate list on March 30, 2026. NTK has also fielded a candidate in the segment. The presence of multiple candidates, particularly TVK, could affect the distribution of votes in the constituency.
Polling across all 234 Tamil Nadu constituencies is scheduled for April 23, 2026. Counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on May 4, 2026.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, L. Murugan, has been fielded by the BJP from the Avinashi (SC) assembly segment. He had earlier contested from Dharapuram in the 2021 elections, where he lost to DMK's N. Kayalvizhi by 1,393 votes.
Under the NDA seat-sharing arrangement for Tamil Nadu, the BJP has been allotted 27 of the 234 constituencies, with AIADMK contesting 169 seats as the alliance's lead party.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026: NTK’s Seeman rejects freebies, positions self as Tamil nationalist alternative
DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin has named Dr V Kokilamani, a 28-year-old government doctor from the Arunthathiyar community, as the party's candidate for Avinashi.
Who Is Dr Kokilamani?
Born on March 20, 1998, in Thirumalaikoundanpalayam village in Avinashi taluk, Tirupur district, Kokilamani belongs to the Arunthathiyar community. Her father, Venkittan, is an agricultural labourer who has served as the DMK branch secretary of Thirumalaikoundanpalayam for the past 15 years. Her mother, Venkittammal, is also an agricultural labourer.
She studied in government and aided institutions, completing her schooling at the local government high school in Thirumalaikoundanpalayam. Kokilamani resigned from her government posting at a primary health centre earlier this year to join active politics under the DMK banner, though reports differ on whether she served at Nambiyampalayam PHC or the Avinashi PHC before stepping down. Since 2022, she has been the deputy organiser of the DMK's Seyur union medical wing.
DMK has said that Kokilamani pursued her MBBS degree under the 3% internal reservation for Arunthathiyars, a provision introduced in 2009 by the late party patriarch M Karunanidhi during his tenure as chief minister.
Who is L Murugan?
Born in Namakkal district in 1977, Murugan holds a PhD in law from the University of Madras and is a Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh. He has been serving as Union Minister of State since July 2021. Murugan is the first person from the Arunthathiyar community to be appointed a Union minister since Independence. Both he and the DMK's candidate, Kokilamani, belong to the same community.
Why is Avinashi of importance to AIADMK?
Avinashi has been an AIADMK stronghold for most of the last four decades, with the exception of the 1996 elections. The party ceded the seat to BJP as part of the NDA seat-sharing agreement. AIADMK insiders have said the move also served to deny a ticket to sitting MLA P Dhanapal, who had publicly criticised party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. Dhanapal's son Lokesh Tamilselvan subsequently joined TVK and is contesting from Rasipuram. Murugan has since met Dhanapal and sought his support ahead of the polls.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Polls: "Our goal is to form government again," says EPS
The contest in Avinashi is not limited to the DMK and BJP. TVK, the party founded by actor-turned-politician Vijay, announced it would contest all 234 constituencies and released its full candidate list on March 30, 2026. NTK has also fielded a candidate in the segment. The presence of multiple candidates, particularly TVK, could affect the distribution of votes in the constituency.
Polling across all 234 Tamil Nadu constituencies is scheduled for April 23, 2026. Counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on May 4, 2026.
