DMK releases candidates' list, Udhayanidhi to face maiden election from Chepauk

DMK president M K Stalin on Friday released the list of 173 candidates of the party for the April 6 Assembly polls. 

Unwilling to take chances in a crucial do or die election, DMK, like its rival AIADMK, has fielded seniors and resourceful prominent party members, including many sitting MLAs and ex-ministers. Unsurprisingly, Stalin will seek re-election from Kolathur. DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin, whose candidature was a subject of debate in the political circles for a while now, would face his maiden election from Chepauk – Triplicane, a constituency once held by his late grandfather M Karunanidhi. Former DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan’s grandson A Vetriazhagan is the lone heir other than Udhayanidhi to be given a ticket afresh this time. Barring the sitting MLA sons of the party, a couple of seniors like I Periasamy and T R Baalu, most heirs of second-rung leaders like K N Nehru, E V Velu and MRK Panneerselvam have been denied the opportunity.

DMK general secretary Duraimurugan will contest from his native Katpadi constituency for the 11th time.  Other party seniors like principal secretary K N Nehru, deputy general secretaries K Ponmudi (Thirukovilur), I Periasamy (Attur) and district secretary E V Velu (Tiruvannamalai) have retained their seats. Another deputy general secretary cum former minister Subbulakhsmi Jagadeeshan has been given Modakurichi seat.

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DMK would face AIADMK in close to 120 seats. DMK propaganda secretary Thanga Tamilselvan will take on AIADMK coordinator and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam in Bodinaickanur constituency. A little known T Sampathkumar has been fielded against chief minister K Palanswami in Edappadi constituency. Secretary of newly created DMK Environment Wing and well known Jallikattu activist, Karthikeya Sivasenapathy of Kangeyam would dare state local administration minister S P Velumani in the latter’s bastion Thondamuthur. DMK would face PMK in a dozen seats, including Mettur where Srinivasaperumal would challenge PMK president G K Mani. Only 13 of the list of 173 candidates of DMK are women. DMK has also given tickets to newcomers like Dr R Lakshmanan (Villupuram), a former AIADMK MP who joined the party recently. Lakshmanan has been pitted against state law minister C Ve Shanmugham. S K Vedarathinam, a former BJP state vice president who joined the DMK last year, has been given Vedaranyam seat, where he once contested as an independent candidate and secured around 40,000 votes.