CHENNAI: The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday released the list of candidates for 21 seats for the April 19 Lok Sabha polls, retaining among other sitting MPs, Kanimozhi, TR Baalu and A Raja.
It has allotted the rest 18 seats to its allies--Congress, Left parties and VCK among others.
The party also released its manifesto for the polls, touching upon other subjects like appointment of Governors and the abolition of Article 356.
After releasing the list, Stalin expressed his optimism that the DMK-led alliance would secure all the 40 LS seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Of the 21 names the ruling party fielded, 11 were new faces, even as three women, including sitting South Chennai MP Tamizhachi Thangapandian were named.
Dayanidhi Maran, S Jagathrakshakan, Kalanidhi Veerasamy, Kathir Anand and C N Annadurai were also retained.
In its manifesto, the party, among others, promised to take steps for states being consulted on appointment of Governors, abolition of Article 356 that allowed the Centre to dismiss a state government and statehood for Puducherry.
The list also comprised of T.M. Selvaganapathy, who had previously held positions as an MLA and minister while being a part of the AIADMK party. He later became a Rajya Sabha MP within the DMK party.
Additionally, Thanga Tamilselvan, who was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the 2021 Assembly election, represented the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and DMK parties respectively. Both were once powerful leaders of the AIADMK in their respective regions.
Those entering the electoral fray for the first time included: Dharmapuri - A Mani, Coimbatore - Ganapathi P Rajkumar, Erode - K Prakash, Thanjavur - Murasoli, Kallakurichi - Malaiyarasan, Tenkasi - Rani Srikumar, Pollachi - K Easwaramoorthy, Perambalur - Arun Nehru, and Arani - MS Tharanivendhan. It can be noted that Arun Nehru is the son of DMK leader and Municipal Administration and Water Supplies Minister KN Nehru.
The party has denied tickets to Gowtham Sigamani of Kallakuruchi, who is the son of Tirukkoyilur MLA and former minister K Ponmudy, Dhanush M Kumar of Tenkasi, SR Parthiban of Salem, K Shanmugasundaram of Pollachi and S Senthilkumar of Dharmapuri.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and party chief MK Stalin released the manifesto in the presence of MP Kanimozhi, Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan and several other party leaders.
After releasing the party manifesto DMK MP Kanimozhi said, "The manifesto is always important for us. I thank our leader MK Stalin for allowing me to head the manifesto committee and thank all the committee members. We saw how much this Dravidian model government has done for the people of the state. This election manifesto will help us to take our Dravidian model all over India. I am sure of securing not only 40 seats in Tamil Nadu but a good number of seats in the country too."
(With inputs from ANI)
