Ranipet candidature likely to change
In a fresh twist in the DMK’s Ranipet seat selection for the 2026 Assembly election, Vinoth Gandhi—who was earlier named as the party’s candidate—has said he will not contest and that his father, Handlooms Minister R Gandhi, will seek the seat again.
According to reports, Minister R Gandhi was among those who were initially denied an opportunity to contest this election. The DMK leadership subsequently offered the Ranipet ticket to his son Vinoth Gandhi, amid talk that the minister was unhappy with the decision.
Vinoth Gandhi had also not begun campaigning, even as information emerged that the minister had been requesting the party leadership to allow him to contest from Ranipet once more.
In a statement, Vinoth Gandhi thanked the party leadership and Udhayanidhi for trusting him with the opportunity. However, he said he had decided to respectfully return the chance to his father, considering the minister’s firm desire to contest again.
Despite Vinoth Gandhi’s announcement, the DMK leadership has not yet made any official statement on a candidate change for Ranipet.
