AIADMK alliance announces constituencies

 With weeks to go for the national elections, the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamilnadu today released the list of constituencies allotted for each of their partners. There would be direct fight between AIADMK and DMK in eight constituencies.

The list of constituenices was announced by Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK co-ordinator O Pannerselvam in the presence of Chief Minister K Palaniswami and BJP leaders Tamilisai Soundararajan and H Raja.

The AIADMK will contest in 20 seats. It includes Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Erode, Karur, Thiruppur, Pollachi, Aarani, Thiruvannamalai, Chidambaram (R), Perambaloor, Theni, Madurai, Nilgiri (R), Tirunelveli, Nagappatinam (R), Mayiladuthrai, Tiruvallur (R), Kanchipuram (R) and South Chennai.

The PMK that contests in seven seats has been allotted Dharmapuri, Villupuram (R), Arakonam, Cuddalore, Central Chennai, Dindigul, Sripreumbudur. PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss is expected to seek re-election from Dharmapuri.

BJP has got Kaniyakumari, Sivaganga, Coimbatore, Ramanathapuram, Tutirocin. Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan is reportedly contesting from Kaniyakumari and State unit president of BJP Tamilisai Soundararajan may be fielded from Tuticorin.

Vijayakanth’s DMDK has been alloted Kallakurichi, Tiruchirapalli, North Madras and Virudhunagar. DMDK’s deputy secretary L K Sudheesh may be contesting from Kallakurichi.

GK Vasan’s Tamil Maanila Congress has been given Thanjavur, while Puthiya Needhi Katchi gets Vellore, Puthiya Thamizhagam will contest from Tenkasi (R) and All India NR Congress from Pudhucherry.

In the 2014 polls, the AIADMK had won 37 of the 39 seats. The DMK and the Congress which fought separately drew a blank. The PMK and BJP won one each.

This is the first election after the death of former Chief Ministers and Tamilnadu’s tallest leaders J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi and an acid test for the leadership of O Panneerselvam and Edapaddi K Palaniswami in the ruling AIADMK and MK Stalin in the DMK who has already proposed the name of Congress president Rahul Gandhi as Prime Ministerial candidate.

TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK and actor Kamal Hassan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam are likely to fight alone and the State is likely to witness a four-cornered contest.