AIADMK releases list of candidates

CHENNAI: Hours after the seat-sharing agreement was concluded with the MDMK, AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa released the party’s list of candidates for 23 Lok Sabha constituencies.

The MDMK has been allotted four constituencies. Party general secretary Vaiko, who is contesting a general election after a gap of 10 years, will contest from Virudhunagar. Former MP of Palani and district secretary of Erode A. Ganeshamurthy will contest from Erode. MP C. Krishnan will contest from Nilgiris and deputy general secretary Durai Balakrishnan from Thanjavur.

Among the prominent AIADMK candidates are former Union Minister M. Thambidurai (Karur), former Tamil Nadu Ministers S. Semmalai (Salem), V. Sathiyamurthy (Ramanathapuram) and M.C. Sampath (Cuddalore).

R.S. Rajakannappan, who returned to the AIADMK after being elected to the Assembly on the DMK ticket, has been given the Sivaganga seat. Cynthia Pandian, former Vice-Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, and wife of former AIADMK Parliamentary Party leader P.H. Pandian is the candidate for the Tuticorin constituency.

Former Rajya Sabha member and actor S.S. Chandran has been given the ticket in the Central Chennai constituency against former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran of the DMK. Former Tirupur MLA C. Sivasami is the candidate in the newly created Tirupur constituency. Among the new faces nominated by the AIADMK are R. Rajan (Tiruvallur), S. Rajendran (South Chennai), L.K.M.P. Vasu (Vellore), Mukkur N. Subramanian (Arani), P. Murugan (Villupuram), V. Vairam Tamilarasi (Namakkal), K. Sukumar (Pollachi), P. Kumar (Tiruchi), R.P. Maruthairaj (Perambalur), K. Annamalai (Tirunelveli).

Former MLA E. Ramakrishnan (Kancheepuram), K. Nanjagoda (Krishnagiri), former MP Thanga Tamilselvan (Theni) and P. Balasubramani (Dindigul) have also been given the party ticket.

A three-time MP, Mr. Thambidurai is a member of the current Assembly. Mr. Semmalai was Minister for education and health in the previous AIADMK government. Besides the Congress candidate, Mr. Sampath will be facing his brother and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam candidate M.C. Damodaran in the Cuddalore constituency.

Mr. Thanga Tamilselvan was elected from the Andipatti Assembly constituency in 2001. The AIADMK will be facing the DMK in 10 constituencies, Congress in 11 constituencies, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi in Villupuram and the Muslim League in Vellore. The DMK and the PMK have a direct contest in 5 constituencies.