SEREMBAN, July 18 – The N24 Seremban Jaya state constituency will witness a three-cornered contest in the 2026 Negeri Sembilan state election after the Returning Officer officially announced the list of candidates following the close of the nomination process on Saturday.

The Returning Officer confirmed that three candidates successfully submitted their nomination papers and will contest the seat.

Representing Barisan Nasional (BN) is Thinalan Rajagopalu, who will appear as Candidate No. 1 on the ballot paper.

Parti Bersatu has fielded Mahendran Ramasamy, who was assigned Candidate No. 2. Mahendran drew attention upon his arrival at the nomination centre by wearing a traditional dhothi, reflecting his cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, Pakatan Harapan (PH) has nominated S. Muhunthan, who will contest as Candidate No. 3.

The contest is expected to attract significant attention as Seremban Jaya has long been regarded as a stronghold of Pakatan Harapan. The constituency has been represented by Gunasekaren Palasamy since 2008, having successfully defended the seat through multiple state elections.

In the 2023 Negeri Sembilan state election, Gunasekaren comfortably retained the seat for Pakatan Harapan after securing 17,080 votes, defeating Gerakan candidate Lee Ban Fatt, who garnered 4,377 votes. Gunasekaren won with a commanding majority of 12,703 votes, reinforcing Pakatan Harapan’s dominance in the constituency.

With Gunasekaren not seeking re-election, Pakatan Harapan has entrusted S. Muhunthan to defend one of the coalition’s safest seats in Negeri Sembilan. Barisan Nasional and Parti Bersatu will be aiming to make inroads into a constituency that has consistently favoured Pakatan Harapan over the past several election cycles.

Following the confirmation of candidates, campaigning officially begins and will continue until polling day, with all three candidates expected to focus on local development, infrastructure improvements, cost-of-living concerns, and community welfare as they seek the support of voters in Seremban Jaya.