CHENNAI: Two NDA constituents on Friday announced their candidates for the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, with one contesting on the BJP’s Lotus symbol and the other on the coalition leader AIADMK’s Two Leaves symbol.
While former Union Minister G K Vasan named his party’s candidates for the five constituencies allotted to his Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), the Indiya Jananayaka Katchi (IJK), led by former MP Pariventhar, named its nominees for two Assembly segments.
Vasan said his party will contest on the BJP’s Lotus symbol, while the IJK will face the election on the AIADMK’s Two Leaves symbol.
Addressing a press conference here, Vasan revealed the names of the five candidates at 12.12 pm, in line with his “party’s sentiments”, apparently referring to the auspicious timing of the announcement.
V M Karthikeyan will contest from Ranipet, while senior leader M Yuvaraja has been fielded from Erode West.
Former legislator ‘Vidiyal’ S Sekar is the party’s nominee from Oddanchathiram, while M K R Ashok Kumar will contest from Kumbakonam.
Vasan further said that J Nivin Simon is the party candidate from Killiyoor constituency.
The party will face the election on the BJP’s Lotus symbol, he said, and described the NDA as a “victorious alliance.”
“The public sentiment is in favour of the AIADMK-led NDA, which is a victorious alliance,” Vasan added.
Meanwhile, IJK president Ravi Pachamuthu, addressing a press meet along with his father and party founder Pariventhar, said that party functionaries Venkatesan and Saranya Anbazhagan will contest from Pallavaram and Kunnam, respectively.
Pariventhar, a former Lok Sabha member, said the party will fight on the Two Leaves symbol.
Further, Puthiya Neethi Katchi, another NDA member, will contest from two seats, party chief A C Shanmugam said.
The party will contest on the Lotus symbol in one segment and the Two Leaves symbol in another, he told reporters.
Shanmugam indicated that the BJP has given one seat to him from its quota of 27 in the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance.
He said the names of the constituencies to be contested by his party will be announced later.