On April 6, 2026, R. Rajendran, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister and candidate for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), filed his nomination for the Salem North constituency. Accompanied by DMK alliance party members, he submitted his nomination to the Returning Officer at the taluk office in Hasthampatti. Rajendran criticized the AIADMK for aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and praised Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for implementing various welfare schemes over the past five years, including an ₹8,000 coupon scheme for women, ₹10 lakh insurance coverage, free laptops for 35 lakh students, and housing for 10 lakh people. He believes these initiatives will lead to a DMK victory in the upcoming elections. On the same day, a total of 215 candidates from various political parties filed nominations across 11 Assembly constituencies in Salem district, with 355 candidates, including 72 women, having submitted nominations from March 30 to April 6.