The ruling AIADMK on Friday announced its first list of candidates for six constituencies.
Chief Minister and co-coordinator of the party, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, will be trying his luck again from his home constituency of Edappadi. He has been elected from this seat four times: 1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016.
Deputy Chief Minister and coordinator of the party, O. Panneerserlvam, has been nominated for Bodinayakanur, from where he got elected in 2011 and 2016. On two other occasions, he represented Periyakulam.
Two Ministers – D. Jayakumar and C.Ve. Shanmugam – have been chosen for their respective constituencies of Royapuram in Chennai and Villupuram. This will be the seventh time that Mr. Jayakumar is being fielded from Royapuram. He lost only once, in 1996.
Two others – S. P. Shanmuganathan and S. Thenmozhi – have been fielded from their present constituencies, Srivankuntam and Nilakottai, which are reserved for Scheduled Castes.
A press release of the party stated that the names of the candidates were recommended by the high-level administrative committee.
A senior office-bearer of the party said the first list of nominees represented a good mix of communities -- Vellala Gounder, Mukkalathor, Meenavar, Vanniyar, Nadar and the SC. The release of the list was made, keeping in mind the “auspiciousness” of the day.
The list was made public, even as the ruling party had not yet finalised seat sharing-arrangement with its prospective allies, barring the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Another functionary of the ruling party said the remaining candidates would be named by the party by Tuesday.
