The AIADMK on Friday released its second list of candidates for 127 constituencies. The third list for the remaining 17 constituencies is expected to be released soon.
The second list released by the party leadership Palaniswami has given an opportunity to 46 sitting MLAs, 26 former MLAs and six former MPs. He had chosen to play it safe for the party with more than 80 percent being the old faces and party veterans. Out of the 66 sitting MLAs 45 have been renominated. While the first list, released a few days before had the names of the party heavy weights and former ministers, the second list of candidates for 127 constituencies, has 17 women candidates, one Muslim candidate with an aim to balance the gender and minority representation. But the list, according to a former minister, lacks any freshness and Dalit representation. “Palanswami has given tickets to only those who will never oppose his leadership even if the party looses the upcoming election,” the former minister noted.
There are surprises in some of the constituencies, like Mettur, where former minister S. Semmalai was in the race. Semmalai, a longtime loyalist of former chief minister Jayalalithaa and also Palaniswami, has not been renominated. And in the Theni district, considered to be bastion of EPS’s bête noire O. Panneerselvam, the AIADMK had played it safe with V.T. Narayanasamy.
The party has chosen to field new faces in Sankarankovil, a reserved constituency in Tenkasi and Palayamkottai, which is considered to be DMK bastion. Syed Sultan Samsudeen, an engineering graduate will contest from Palayamkottai, which has a sizeable number of teachers, government employees, Christian and Muslim voters. Interestingly, he is the only minority candidate in the two lists released by the AIADMK. In Sankarankovil, the party has chosen to field a young medical doctor. The contest in Sankarankovil might get tough if the DMK fields its sitting MLA E. Raja.
And in Tirunelveli constituency, its district secretary Thatchai N. Ganesaraja, who lost in Nanguneri constituency to Congress candidate Ruby R. Manoharan in the 2021 assembly polls, is in the fray. In Ambasamudram, sitting MLA and former minister Esakki Subaya has been renominated while former MP K. R. P. Prabhakaran will contest from the Alangulam constituency. This constituency was interestingly represented by P.H. Manoj Pandian who defected to the DMK. Prabhakaran might have to take on Manoj Pandian in the upcoming election on April 23.
And out of the 41 constituencies in the central districts of Tiruchirapalli, Karur, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, after allocating 14 seats to its allies, AIADMK will be contesting from 27 constituencies. In Tiruchirappalli the party will contest from seven out of the nine assembly segments. And Trichy being considered the fiefdom of DMK strongman K.N. Nehru, AIADMK has chosen familiar faces to Srirangam and Tiruverumbur, while giving ticket to lottery baron Martin’s wife Leema Rose Martin in the Lalgudi constituency. K. Rajasekaran, treasurer of AIADMK Tiruchi urban, has been nominated for Trichy east. In the neighbouring Perambalur district, AIADMK after giving away Kunnam, one of the two assembly segments to its alliance partner, has renominated its Perambalur district secretary Ilambai R. Tamilselvan for the Perambalur, reserve, constituency.
In the Thanjavur, one of the most important segments in the delta region, the AIADMK has fielded former MLA Ilamathi Subramanian from Thiruvidaimaruthur, reserve, constituency and Govi. Ilango, son of former MLA M. Govindarasu from Peravurani. Durai Shanmugaprabhu alias Iyyappan will contest from Papanasam, while M. Sekar, chairman of Orathanadu town panchayat, has been fielded from the Orathanadu constituency. Former MLA C.V. Sekar has been nominated from the Pattukottai constituency. And U. Baladandayutham is the candidate for Thiruthuraipoondi, a reserve constituency. Nagapattinam has been allotted to its town secretary Thanga Kathiravan.
And in Karur where DMK’s V. Senthil Balaji is considered to be strong, former AIADMK minister and Balaji’s arch rival M.R. Vijayabaskar will be in the fray. According to sources Vijayabaskar believes that he can pull a victory this time, if Balaji chooses to contest from Coimbatore South. However, sources indicate that the DMK might field Balaji’s brother V. Ashok Kumar against Vijayabaskar.
In Coimbatore and Tiruppur in the western belt, the most promising segment for the AIADMK, the party has fielded two new faces. D. Lakshmana Singh will contest from Valparai and P. Sathyabama, Tiruppur rural east district joint secretary, will fight from the Dharapuram constituency. Former MLA N.S.N. Nataraj will contest from Kangayam and former MLA O.K. Chinnaraj will fight from Mettupalayam. Chinnaraj replaces sitting MLA A.K. Selvaraj.
In Coimbatore district, of the 10 Assembly constituencies, the AIADMK is contesting nine seats, and seven sitting MLAs have been given the opportunity to contest again. Coimbatore South assembly segment now represented by BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has been allotted to former AIADMK MLA Amman K. Arjunan. In Singanallur, sitting MLA K.R. Jayaram will be in the fray.
And in Gobichettipalayam, the constituency represented by former minister K.A. Sengottaiyan who defected to Vijay’s TVK, the AIADMK has chosen to field V.B. Prabhu. Interestingly, Sengottiyan’s nephew K.K. Selvan who recently joined the party and expressed willingness to contest has been denied a ticket.
According to sources, EPS chose the candidates based on two aspects - those who will not oppose his leadership in the next five years and money bags who can afford to spend at least Rs 10 crore during the contest. Palaniswami had apparently chosen only his true loyalists. “He did not want to take any risk in the candidate selection process. But we could have fielded more new and young faces. With Vijay in the fray, new faces can catch the young voters,” the former minister told THE WEEK
