Tamil Nadu ready for By-polls; AIADMK announces candidates

Chennai: The ruling AIADMK on Wednesday announced its list of candidates for the Assembly by-polls to be held on October 21. The by-polls will be held for two seats in Tamil Nadu.

AIADMK coordinator, O. Panneerselvam and joint coordinator K. Palaniswami announced the candidature of M.R. Muthamilselvan and V. Narayanan for Vikravandi and Nanguneri constituencies, respectively.

The by-poll to Vikravandi was necessary following the death of incumbent DMK MLA K. Rathamani in June this year. While Congress legislator from Nanguneri, H. Vasantha Kumar, resigned after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Kanyakumari in April.

The DMK is seeking re-election from Vikravandi and has fielded N. Pugazhenthi, while allotting Nanguneri to ally Congress. Congress on Wednesday announced that the candidate for Nanguneri would be announced on September 27.

Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam and T.T.V. Dhinakaran's AMMK are not contesting in the by-elections this time. Meanwhile addressing media persons in Thiruvananthapuram, Edappadi K. Palaniswami said that the AIADMK candidates would emerge victorious with huge margins.

Interestingly the by-polls is seen as a war of pride between the ruling government and the DMK. With Assembly elections slated for 2021, every victory ahead of it will be seen as extremely crucial. With the AIADMK losing the recent LS by-poll to the DMK by a very close margin, expectations are high in AIADMK camp.

Political observers say, “DMK has made the right move by giving Nanguneri to the Congress. Had they wanted they would have taken it up. To ensure that the secular front stays intact, they gave it to the Congress.”

However, some ruling party members say, “If it was between the DMK and the AIADMK, it wold have been a tough battle. But since the Congress is contesting in Nanguneri; we have a realistic chance.”

Stalin was compelled to yield to the Congress demand of Nanguneri as there is the threat of Rajinikanth. The actor had announced that he fight in the 2021 elections.