CHENNAI: With the election manifesto being prepared in earnest, AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday commenced interviewing party aspirants from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala for the upcoming Assembly elections.
AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudanan, party’s Parliamentary board members, Justice Selvaraj and Tamilmahan Hussain were also present during the interview.
Five aspirants — P Vetrivel, party’s North Chennai North district secretary, A Noorjahan, councillor, 121st ward of Chennai Corporation and platform speaker of the party, Deputy Mayor of Chennai Corporation, P Benjamin, Uthangarai (SC) constituency’s sitting MLA, Manoranjitham and Chitlapakkam Rajendran, party’s Kancheepuram east district secretary were interviewed on Monday. Party sources said interview of aspirants would continue in the coming days.
Educational qualifications, knowledge about the constituency in which the person wishes to contest, his/her involvement in the party activities, population of the constituency, self-assessment of the aspirant about his/her winning prospects if given an opportunity to contest were among the questions posed to aspirants during the interview.
Of the total 26, 174 applications received from aspirants, 7,936 were for Jayalalithaa. For the 234 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK had filed 7,698 applications while 332 applications were received for Puducherry. From Kerala, 208 applications were received.
Vetrivel had filed application for contesting Kolathur, Villivakkam and Perambur constituencies while Noorjahan had sought a party ticket for Mylapore, Chepauk-Triplicane, Velacherry and Thousandlights constituencies. Deputy Mayor Benjamin had sought ticket for Maduravoyal constituency while Manoranjitham aspired to contest from her present constituency Uthangarai (SC).
Meanwhile, Jayalalithaa has effected a shuffle among the party office bearers in North Chennai North district which includes R K Nagar, Perambur, Kolathur, Villivakkam constituencies and directed the party cadre to extend full cooperation to the newly-appointed office-bearers.
She relieved M Ravi, secretary, party’s Nattarankottai town panchayat, from the post. The AIADMK general secretary expelled ES Sivakumar, secretary, Sivakasi Assembly constituency in Virudhunagar district since he had acted against the principles of the party.
‘List of PMK candidates in 10 days, youth, women to get priority’
Chennai: Pattali Makkal Katchi’s chief ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday said that the list of its party’s candidates for the May 16 Assembly elections will be released within 10 days. Answering queries from the media, he said the youth and women will be given priority in the candidates’ list of the PMK. Meanwhile, political statements of PMK founder S Ramadoss were published in five volumes under separate heads — social justice, prohibition, Tamil Eelam, Interstate water disputes and awakening of Tamil Nadu. A separate volume was released on his Twitter posts. N Ram, publisher, The Hindu, released these volumes and R Bhagawan Singh, managing editor, Deccan Chronicle, and Tirupur Krishnan, editor, Amudha Surabhi, received the first set of books. Ramadoss said he was not a writer, but a fighter and he wished to continue as a fighter for ever.
Stalin Keeps Mum on Alliance, Steers Clear of Speculations
Tiruchy: DMK treasurer M K Stalin continued to remain evasive about alliance saying the party would announce as soon as it reaches the final stage. He, however, said the DMK will finalise its manifesto after an elaborate discussion with party chief M Karunanidhi from March 8 to 10. He was in the city on Sunday to take part in a programme organised by with Makkal Nala Paniyalargal. Earlier, speaking at the Chennai airport, Stalin appealed to media not to publish news based on speculation and said it would spoil alliance talks. Stalin’s appeal has given rise to curiosity in the political arena and he reinstated his point in Tiruchy when he told reporters that they are yet to finalise their alliance and would announce once a final decision is arrived at. Addressing a gathering of Makal Nala Paniyalargal, Stalin said the DMK’s manifesto would be declared once the high command meets from March 8 to 10.