CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday released the second list of party candidates containing 127 names. With this, he has announced candidates for 150 constituencies. The remaining names for about 17 seats, predominantly in Chennai district, are expected soon.
With the first list of 23 and the latest additions, Palaniswami has given opportunity to 45 (of its 65) sitting MLAs, 32 former MLAs, and six former MPs. So far, the AIADMK has fielded 17 women across the state, of whom nine are in SC constituencies and one in an ST constituency.
Significantly, former Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal has not been given a ticket. He is the sitting MLA from Avinashi constituency, but that seat has been allocated to the BJP. Recently, his son quit the AIADMK and joined the TVK, and he is likely to get a TVK ticket to contest the elections. Dhanapal has won elections to the Assembly seven times, except in 1989.
In Bodinaickanur, Palaniswami has fielded VT Narayanasamy. Former CM O Panneerselvam, who recently joined the DMK, is expected to contest from the seat. Similarly, in Orathanadu, EPS has fielded M Sekar. Former AIADMK minister R Vaithilingam got elected from there in 2021 as an AIADMK candidate, but joined DMK a few weeks before OPS.
In Coimbatore district, of the 10 constituencies, AIADMK is contesting nine, and seven sitting MLAs will be contesting again. Since Coimbatore North has been given to the BJP, Amman K Arjunan, who got elected from there last time, will contest from Coimbatore South. Former minister VM Rajalakshmi has not been given her former Sankarankovil constituency or anywhere else. Instead, Dilipan Jayasankar has been fielded there.
Interestingly, Leema Rose Martin, wife of lottery baron Santiago Martin, who recently joined the AIADMK after quitting the IJK, will contest from Lalgudi. Just after joining the AIADMK, she was appointed joint secretary of its women’s wing. Notably, IJK is also part of the NDA, and the party has been allotted two constituencies.
Former ministers S Semmalai, Vellamandi N Natarajan, SS Vaigaichelvan, K Pandiarajan, K Paranjothi, B Valarmathi, TKM Chinnayya, and S Valarmathi, among others, are yet to appear on the candidate list. Former NTK functionary Kaliyammal Prakasan, who joined the AIADMK recently and was appointed as deputy propaganda secretary, was expecting to get a seat. However, her name also did not feature in the two lists.
Singa Thamizhar Munnetra Kazhagam, which was allocated one seat, has been given the Mannachanallur constituency.
New Justice Party leader AC Shanmugam announced that his party will contest in two seats. Shanmugam said the BJP will give one of its 27 constituencies, besides Madurai Central, allotted by AIADMK. He said his party will contest on the ‘Lotus Symbol’ in the constituency BJP will allot and on the ‘Two Leaves’ in Madurai Central.
Puratchi Bharatham leader Poovai M Jagan Moorthy, who earlier expressed dissatisfaction over the allocation of just one seat, on Friday said his party remained in NDA, and he will contest on ‘Two Leaves’ symbol in the one constituency of KV Kuppam.