CHENNAI: Following requests from party cadre and functionaries, Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday extended the deadline for filing applications for party tickets to contest the upcoming Assembly elections by three days - till Feb 6. The filing of applications started on January 20 and it was scheduled to be over on February 3.
Now, AIADMK functionaries who aspire to contest the Assembly elections from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry Union Territory can file their applications till February 6. Sources said during the past two weeks, over 22,000 applications have been received by party functionaries. Of these several functionaries filed applications on behalf of Jayalalithaa to contest in almost all the 234 constituencies.
On Wednesday, a large number of party functionaries turned up at the AIADMK headquarters. The office hours for receiving and filing applications was extended till everyone in the complex received his/her application.
After February 6, all the applications will be scrutinised and eligible candidates will be listed. These shortlisted candidates will be interviewed and on the basis of the interview, the AIADMK supremo will release the final list of candidates for the Assembly elections. Since the notification for the elections are expected to be issued in the first week of March, the AIADMK high command is likely to release the list prior to the notification so that the party cadre are able to begin their campaigning before the other parties.