Ambasamudram Bypoll: Seeman Vows NTK Candidates in All Five Seats
Tirunelveli: Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) leader Seeman has declared that he will contest the Ambasamudram Assembly by-election, and that his party will field candidates in all five constituencies heading to by-polls. The decision comes months after he lost the Karaikudi seat in this year's Assembly election.
In Tirunelveli, Seeman told journalists that the NTK would enter every by-election contest. His statement ends the uncertainty over whether he would personally stand from Ambasamudram.
The vacancy arose after Isakki Subbaiah resigned from the Assembly. Subbaiah had been elected on an AIADMK ticket and subsequently joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). His resignation made the by-election unavoidable.
"I will contest the Ambasamudram by-election. Naam Tamilar Katchi will contest all five constituencies," Seeman said, adding that the party intends to take part in all forthcoming polls.
He also took aim at the TVK, asking why its members seemed afraid of his candidature. Seeman maintained that he should be assessed on his merits rather than his caste background or personal and family links.
"I am a common candidate for the people of every caste. If family relationships were the yardstick, I could not contest from any constituency in Tamil Nadu," he said. "Relationships vary, and political opinions vary."
His remarks indicated that personal connections would not guide his electoral choices. He reiterated that he sees himself as a representative of all communities.
Founded by Seeman in May 2010, the NTK emerged from his background in filmmaking and politics. The party has built its identity around Tamil nationalism, language and cultural pride, with Seeman as its principal campaigner.
The NTK has generally fought elections on its own, avoiding major alliances. As part of its wider effort to create an alternative political space in Tamil Nadu, it contested all 234 constituencies in the 2026 Assembly election.
The party's footprint widened in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when it received about 8.2 percent of the vote across Tamil Nadu. Despite that support, it won no seats, a result that exposed the challenge of converting votes into legislative representation.
For Seeman, the Ambasamudram race is another opportunity to win an Assembly seat. For the NTK, contesting all five by-elections will be a fresh test of its organisational strength and its capacity to retain voter support after the Assembly polls.