PMK candidate list: Sowmiya Anbumani gets husband's Dharmapuri
As per the candidates list released on Friday morning, Arasangam, who is the district secretary of Dharmapuri east, was announced as Dharmapuri candidate.
PMK founder Dr. Ramadoss
CHENNAI: Entering the 2024 LS poll fray in alliance with BJP-led NDA, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has included Sowmiya Anbumani, wife of party president Anbumani Ramadoss in its candidates list. Sowmiya will contest from Dharmapuri constituency, where Anbumani contested twice and won once.
As per the candidates list released on Friday morning, Arasangam, who is the district secretary of Dharmapuri east, was announced as Dharmapuri candidate. However, later on the day, the party founder issued a statement changing the candidate. Sowmiya Anbumani is the president of Pasumai Thayagam - an environmental organization.
It may be noted that Anbumani Ramadoss contested in Dharmapuri in alliance with NDA in 2014 and 2019. He won in 2014 and lost in 2019 to S Senthil Kumar of DMK.
The party also fielded film director Thangar Bachan in Cuddalore constituency. Even though the NDA allocated 10 seats to PMK, a list of 9 candidates have been released and the PMK candidate for Kancheepuram constituency, (reserved constituency) is awaited.
As expected, a majority of the candidates are from Vanniyar community. The party has fielded 6 Vanniyar candidates, one Udayar candidate (in Kallakurichi), one Nadar candidate (in Dindigul) and one Dalit candidate (in Villupuram reserved constituency). M Thilagabama in Dindigul constituency is the only woman candidate in the list.
Advocate K Balu, who is spokesperson of the party, gets Arakkonam ticket while former MLA A Ganesh Kumar will contest in Arani.
R Devadoss Udayar, son of senior Congress leader in Salem leader N Ramasamy Udayar, has been given an opportunity to contest from Kallakurichi. Devadoss Udayar left Congress and joined PMK in 2022 and he was a MP from Salem.
Murali Sankar, state secretary of PMK's students wing, will contest in Villupuram reserved constituency and face VCK's incumbent MP D Ravikumar. The party has fielded N Annadurai in Salem and Stalin in Mayiladuthurai.
Here is the list:
Arakkonam - K Balu
Dharmapuri - Sowmiya Anbumani
Arani - A Ganesh Kumar
Villupuram - Murali Sankar
Kallakurichi - Devadoss Udayar
Salem N Annadurai
Dindigul - M Thilagabama
Mayiladuthurai - Stalin
Cuddalore - Thangar Bachan
Kancheepuram - Jothi Venkatesan