Rajya Sabha MP and daughter of late DMK leader Karunanidhi, M Kanimozhi will be making her electoral debut in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections from Thoothukudi. This was announced by DMK President and leader of the Madhacharbatra Murpokku Kootani (Secular Progressive Alliance) MK Stalin, who released the list of DMK candidates for the 20 seats across Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
Thirteen of the 20 names on the list will be contesting in Lok Sabha polls for the first time, and the party has chosen to field only a few of its ex MPs. Following his acquittal in the 2G case by the trial court, A Raja has once again been fielded from Nilgiris, a reserved constituency. Chennai Central will go to two-time MP Dayanidhi Maran, while TR Baalu and S Jagathrachagan return to the Sriperumbudur and Arakkonam constituencies respectively.
And although the DMK has chosen for a mix of familiar faces and debutants for a number of constituencies, it also handed tickets to the sons and daughters of six of its leaders. Besides Kanimozhi and Dayanidhi, the DMK has fielded Kalanithi Veeraswamy (son of late of late DMK leader Arcot N Veeraswami) for Chennai South, Tamizhachi Thangapandian (daughter of late DMK leader Thangapandian for Chennai North, Gautham Sigamani (son of former minister Ponmudi) for Kallakurichi and TM Kathir Anand (son of DMK Treasurer Duraimurugan) for Vellore.
P Kathavarayan, son of former minister MRK Panneerselvam, will contest in the bye-poll for the Gudiyatham assembly constituency.
Other MP candidates are: G Selvam for Kancheepuram(SC), S Senthil Kumar for Dharmapuri, CN Annadurai for Thiruvannamalai, SR Parthiban for Salem, K Shanmugasundaram for Pollachi, P Veluchamy for Dindigul, TRPS Ramesh for Cuddalore, S Ramalingam for Mayiladuthurai, SS Palanimanickam for Thanjavur, Dhanush M Kumar for Tenkasi(SC), and S Ganathiraviam for Tirunelveli.
When asked why tickets had been given only to two women, the DMK chief said, “Of the 20 constituencies, we have given them two seats. We are handling this in the way Kalaignar (late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi) handled it.”
The party also announced its candidates for the 18 bye-elections happening in the state simultaneously: A Krishnasamy for Poonamallee(SC), RV Sekar for Perambur, SR Idhayavarman for Thiruporur, A Ashokan for Sholingur, S Kathavarayan for Gudiyatham (SC), R Vilvanathan for Ambur, SAH Sathya for Hosur, A Mani for Pappireddipatti, A Krishnakumar for Harur (SC), C Soundarapandian for Nilakkottai (SC), Poondi Kalaivanan for Thiruvarur, TKG Neelamegam for Thanjavur, Ilakiyadasan for Manamadurai (SC), A Maharajan for Andipatti, KS Saravana Kumar for Periyakulam (SC), SV Srinivasan for Sattur, S Sampath Kumar for Paramakudi (SC) and SV Jayakumar for Vilathikulam.
With talks concluding in February, the state’s main opposition party, the DMK had given 10 seats to Congress including the seat in Puducherry and another 10 seats to its other allies. In its combine are CPI(2), CPI(M) (2), VCK (2), MDMK (1), IUML (1), KMDK (1) and IJK (1). Thus, the DMK is contesting from the remaining 20 seats in the upcoming elections. DMK has, however, asked all its allies to contest from the party’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol. This request has been accepted by IJK and KDMK. Thirumavalavan’s VCK will contest in its Chidambaram seat with its own symbol while it will take up the DMK’s symbol in Villupuram.
In addition to the Lok Sabha polls all set to take place on Thursday, April 18, bye-polls to 18 assembly seats would also take place on the same date. The results would be announced on May 23.
Source: The News Minute