Deputy chief minister and party coordinator O Panneerselvam announced the list of candidates that the AIADMK is going to field for Lok Sabha election. Only six sitting MPs and one woman candidate have been fielded in the list, while the DMK has fielded two women.
Chennai: The AIADMK had released its list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While the DMK has fielded two women candidates, the ruling AIADMK has accommodated just one. Six sitting lawmakers, including the Deputy Speaker Thambidurai, figure in the AIADMK’s list.
AIADMK assistant coordinator Munuswamy will contest from Krishnagiri.
Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam’s son, P Ravindranath Kumar has been given a ticket from Theni - his home turf.
State fisheries Minister D Jayakumar’s son Vishnuvardhan has also found a spot in the list.
Former Speaker PH Pandian’s son Manoj Pandian is also given ticket to contest from Tirunelveli.
The remaining 20 seats have been allotted to allies. Seven seats will be going straight to S Ramadoss’ Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and BJP gets five seats.
The PMK also released the names of candidates for five of the seven seats. The list mentions that the party founder's son, Anbumani Ramadoss will stand from Dharmapuri again.
Former Union minister AK Murthi will fight from Arakkonam and Sam Paul has been allotted the Central Chennai constituency.
The constituencies where the AIADMK will fight are Tiruvallur, South Chennai, Kancheepuram, Arani, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram, Krishnagiri, Salem, Nammakal, Erode, Tiruppur, Nilgiris, Pollachi, Karur, Mayiladuthurai, Perambalur, Nagapattinam, Madurai, Theni and Tirunelveli.
PMK has fielded no seats for women, so far.
The AIADMK also released its list for by-elections to the 18 Assembly seats that fell vacant after the disqualification of 18 party MLAs supporting Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran.
The outcome of this election will determine the survival of the K Palaniswamy government. The party is currently four legislators short of majority.
AIADMK has already made the PMK, DMDK and the BJP pledge their support for the bypolls.
In 2014, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalaithaa had helped the party gain a 37-seat victory.
This time, however, the party is bound to face a split in votes due to the ouster of Sasikala and her nephew, TTV Dhinakaran.
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