CHENNAI: The Congress and BJP will fight face-to-face in five Assembly constituencies of Tamil Nadu in the upcoming polls, apart from Kanniyakumari parliamentary by-elections. This became clear on Thursday after Congress finalised the seats it will be contesting from within the DMK front. The direct contest between the nationallevel rivals will be in Colachel,Vilavan code, Coimbatore (South), Udhagamandalam and Karaikudi.
The last time when both these national parties contested as part of either of the Dravidian major’s alliance was in 2001. Interestingly, that time, BJP was in the DMK combine and Congress, and its splinter group TMC, in the AIADMK camp. The BJP faced Congress or TMC in nine seats in that elections, of which it won only one — Karaikudi. A lot has changed since then, including the alliance combinations.
What, however, has remained a constant is the preference of national parties among voters of certain regions, especially in southern TN. Four constituencies allotted to Congress fall in the Kanniyakumari parliamentary segment. Three constituencies where BJP and Congress will fight each other are in southern part of the State — Colachel, Vilavancode and Karaikudi.
But Congress will be facing a tough fight in Udumalpet as it will take on the Animal Husbandry Minister Udumalai Radha Krishnan, a locally popular face. Meanwhile, after a delay of two days, DMK sources said the party will release its candidates list on Friday morning. The outcome of the talks the party is having with DMDK is still not clear.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK has allotted six seats to GK Vasan’s Tamil Maanila Congress, and one to another local outfit. All these seven seats’ representatives will fight on AIADMK’s Two Leaves symbol. With today’s allocations, AIADMK, eyeing a third record term, would face the polls from 189 of the 234 seats while two more are yet to be allotted.