CHENNAI: Within six weeks after facing the Vellore parliamentary constituency election, the political parties in Tamil Nadu have, on Saturday, plunged into election mode again as schedule for by-elections to Nanguneri and Vikravandi Assembly constituencies was announced. While ruling AIADMK will be contesting in both seats, Congress and DMK contest one seat each. As such, with Naam Thamizhar Katchi, it will be a tri-cornered contest. in both seats. The AMMK has decided to skip these by-elections while Kamal Haasan’s MNM will take a decision soon. Polling will take place on October 21and counting will be on October 24.
The Left parties, IUML and VCK will support the candidates of the DMK and Congress in both constituencies while the BJP, PMK, DMDK and New Justice Party will back the AIADMK candidates. Nanguneri seat fell vacant after H Vasanthkumar who represented the constituency got elected from Kanyakumari parliamentary constituency in May and Vikravandi seat fell vacant following the death of K Radhamani, DMK MLA in June.
Within an hour of the announcement of by-elections, the ruling AIADMK and principal opposition party DMK plunged into political activities. TNCC president KS Alagiri, accompanied by his predecessors Kumari Ananthan and KA Thangkabalu, rushed to DMK headquarters and held talks with DMK president MK Stalin. Later, Stalin announced that the Congress would be contesting in Nanguneri while DMK will field its candidate in Vikravandi, thus ending the already prevailing speculation that DMK might contest in Nanguneri too. Stalin also said Congress would contest in Kamaraj Nagar in Puducherry too.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, in a joint statement, invited applications from party aspirants who wish to contest from both constituencies and the applications would be received on September 22 and 23. On September 23, interview of aspirants will take place and the candidate will be announced within a day or two. Similarly, the DMK also invited applications from aspirants for Vikravandi constituency on September 24 and the candidate would be announced on the next day.
At Bengaluru, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran announced that his party would not contest the two by-elections since the process for getting a permanent symbol for the party was yet to be over.
DMK GC DEFERRED: Just after the announcement of the by-elections, DMK president MK Stalin announced that the general council meeting of the party scheduled for October 6 has been postponed in view of the by-elections.
Dates to look out for:
Filing of nominations will begin from September 23
Last date for filing nominations will be September 30
Scrutiny of papers will take place on October 1
Last date for withdrawal of candidates is October 3
Counting and declaration of result: October 24