The DMK on Friday retained most former ministers and MLAs in its list of 173 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election while fielding party president M K Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency in Chennai. The DMK will take on the ruling AIADMK candidates in 129 constituencies and 14 candidates of the BJP among others.
In all 187 candidates (including 14 of allies) will contest on the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol. As many as 13 sitting legislators were denied tickets. While initially the party was not in favour of fielding Mr Udhayanidhi, it changed its decision subsequently, sources said.
Mr Stalin will re-enter the fray from the Kolathur constituency in Chennai, while A. Vetri Azhagan, the grandson of the party’s late general secretary K. Anbazhagan has been fielded in Villivakkam constituency in the capital city.
DMK president M.K. Stalin, who released the candidates’ list after paying homage at the mausoleum of his father and party patriarch M Karunanidhi on the Marina, described it as a list of “victors”. He said the DMK alliance was not a political alliance or created just for the purpose election. “It is an alliance of principle,” he said.
Mr Stalin charged the AIADMK government in the last 10 years had destroyed the state and Tamil Nadu would see a new dawn. “We enter the fray with a new confidence and faith,” he said.
While the party fielded a little-known T.Sampath Kumar to take on Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in Edappadi constituency in Salem district, it nominated a local heavyweight Thanga Tamilselvan in Bodinayakkanur where Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is contesting again. Mr Tamilselvan, a former AIADMK legislator, had switched over to the DMK after fighting the last Parliamentary elections unsuccessfully on an AMMK ticket in Theni.
Likewise, Karur will see a clash between Transport Minister M R Vijayabaskar and his predecessor in the Ministry Senthil Balaji. The latter too had stints with the AIADMK and AMMK but moved in time to the DMK to successfully contest in the Aravakurichi by-poll in 2019.
There are 12 women, nine doctors, 32 advocates, three Muslims and five Christians in the DMK list. Dr N. Ezhilan, the son of M. Naganathan, the former Vice-Chairman of State Planning Commisison, is the candidate for the Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai.
Former Minister U. Mathivanan could not get a ticket since Kilvelur constituency, from where, he was elected last time, had gone to the party’s ally CPI (M). T. P. M. Mohideen Khan and S.N.M Ubayadhulla are two other former ministers, who were not accommodated this time. Suba Thangavelan, another former minister, did not opt for a ticket, party sources said.
Another prominent name to be missed out was party veteran from the Kongu region and former minister Pongalur N. Palanissamy.
When contacted, Mr. Palanisamy told The Hindu that he chose not to contest because he wanted to give youngsters a chance and that he had contested enough elections since 1971.
In Salem, DMK would be contesting from 10 out of 11 constituencies. A.K.Tharun, a doctor and son-in-law of DMK late leader Veerapandi. S Arumugham has been fielded in Veerapandi constituency.
Former AIADMK MP Dr R. Lakshmanan, who joined the DMK recently, will take on Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam in Villupuram.
A.L.S. Lakshmanan, son of former MLA A.L. Subramanian is the candidate against former AIADMK minister and current BJP leader Nainar Nagendran, who filed his nomination in Tirunelveli constituency.
The party also gave a ticket to former AIADMK MLA G.V. Manikandan. Three-time former legislator S. K. Vedarathinam, who rejoined the DMK last year after a stint in the BJP, has been nominated in Vedaranyam again.
Legislators including Thiravidamani, R.T. Arasu, K.S. Ravichandran, Adalarasu, B. Ranganathan and actor Vagai Chandrasekar were not accommodated as either their constituencies have been allotted to alliance partners or they have been replaced with new faces.
Candidates of MDMK, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi, Tamilaga Vazhurimai Katchi, Forward Bloc, Makkal Viduthalai Katchi and one of the two candidates of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi would contest on the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol.
