CHENNAI: DMK allocated more than one third of its constituencies to fresh faces in the upcoming assembly election and retained most incumbent ministers. Chief minister M K Stalin released the list of candidates for 164 constituencies in which DMK is contesting directly.

Among the list, more than 60 candidates are fresh faces.

Among the ministers, even senior ministers such as water resources minister Duraimurugan, who was ill, rural development minister I Periyasamy, revenue minister K K S S R Ramachandran and so on were retained. Three ministers such as human resources minister N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, dairy minister T Mano Thangaraj and handlooms minister R Gandhi were denied seats.

In Chennai, DMK has retained most of its candidates except Egmore, T Nagar, Anna Nagar. Royapuram and Villivakkam. Chief minister M K Stalin, deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, health minister Ma Subramanian, HR and CE minister P K Sekarbabu and MSME minister T M Anbarasan have retained their seats.Among them 164 candidates, 125 candidates are graduates. Among them, 15 were doctors, 17 were engineers, 29 were lawyers and seven were Ph.D holders.

Even those who joined DMK recently from AIADMK were also given seats. Three times CM O Panneerselvam was given a seat in Bodinayakkanur, Paul Manoj Pandian in Alankulam and former minister R Vaithilingam in Oranthanadu.

Meanwhile, DMK also released the list of constituencies in which its alliance parties are contesting. DMDK gets Virudhachalam, where DMDK general secretary Premallatha Vijayakant is likely to contest, and Virudhunagar, where Premallatha's son Vijaya Prabhakaran is likely to contest.