CHENNAI/COIMBATORE/ THOOTHUKUDI/MADURAI: The ruling AIADMK on Tuesday announced its candidates for the by-elections to the four Assembly constituencies - VP Kandasamy, president, Amma Peravai, Coimbatore Rural district (Sulur constituency), VV Senthilnathan, secretary, youth brigade, Karur district (Aravakurichi), S Muniyandi, secretary, Avaniyapuram unit (Thirupparankundram) and P Mohan, deputy secretary, Thoothukudi north district (Ottapidaram).
In a statement here, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, said the candidates were selected by the parliamentary board of the party.
V P Kandasamy (60) is the cousin of the late Sulur MLA, R Kanagaraj. Kandasamy has served as Vadambachery village panchayat president between 1996 and 2006; he is now president of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society Bank.
Kandasamy resides at Kovil Thottam in V Vadukagapalayam in Sulur taluk. His wife Rajamani had also served as president of Vadambachery panchayat between 2006 and 2011. Kandasamy will take on K Sugumar (AMMK) and a former minister Pongalur Palanisamy (DMK).
VV Senthilnathan (37) has a bachelor’s degree in computer technology and has been running a granite quarry and a granites store at Karur. He had unsuccessfully contested from Aravakurichi constituency in 2011 Assembly elections. DMK’s KC Palanisamy defeated him by a margin of 4,541 votes. He is pitted against a former minister and DMK candidate V Senthil Balaji and PH Shahul Hameed of AMMK, in Aravakurichi constituency.
S Muniyandi, a lawyer, has been associated with AIADMK since 1982. After serving the party in various capacities, since last year, he has been serving as AIADMK’s Avaniyapuram secretary. Muniyandi was union chairperson of Tiruparankundram from 2001-06. He had also served as the district councillor for Tiruparankundram. He was also elected as councillor from ward-94 of Madurai corporation. He will take on P Saravanan of DMK and former MLA I Mahendran of AMMK.
Former MLA P Mohan (44) hails from Kavarnagiri panchayat and he was elected from Ottapidaram segment in 2006. He is engaged in quarrying and government contracts. His wife Kanaga Lakshmi served as a union councillor for Ottapidaram during 2006 to 2011. Mohan is known to be supporter of Minister Kadambur Raju. Mohan will take on MC Shanmugaiyya of DMK and a former MLA R Sundarraj.