Releases first list of candidates for Lok Sabha election, Assembly bypolls

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) led by R.K. Nagar MLA T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Sunday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and Assembly bypolls.

In the list, the party named nominees for 24 Lok Sabha constituencies, including former Tiruchi Mayor Sarubala Thondaiman in Tiruchi.

Besides, it announced candidates for nine of the 18 Assembly seats where bypoll has been notified. The by-election was necessitated by the disqualification of 17 AIADMK dissident legislators who joined Mr. Dhinakaran’s camp and the death of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi.

While the AMMK has decided to field candidates in 38 Lok Sabha seats, it has allotted Central Chennai to its ally, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). SDPI on Sunday announced K.K.S.M Dhehlan Baqavi as its candidate for the constituency.

Nine disqualified legislators — T.A. Elumalai (Poonamallee); P. Vetrivel (Perambur); M. Kothandapani (Thiruporur); C. Jayanthi Padmanabhan (Gudiyatham); R. Balasubramani (Ambur); R. Murugan (Harur); S. Mariappan Kennady (Manamadurai); S.G. Subramanian (Sattur) and S. Muthiah (Paramakudi) have been fielded as the AMMK’s candidates in their original constituencies.

Prominent names

Besides Ms. Thondaiman, prominent candidates being fielded are: former Law Minister Isakki Subbiah (South Chennai); former Assembly Speaker K. Kalimuthu’s son K. David Annadurai (Madurai); retired IAS officer M. Ramasami (Nilgiris); former MLAs N. Ganapathy (Villupuram); S.K. Selvam (Salem); Pon .Raja (Tiruvallur) and M. Rajasekaran (Perambalur).

Other candidates for the Lok Sabha seats are: G. Tambaram Narayanan (Sriperumpudur); A. Munusamy (Kancheepuram); P.P. Saminathan (Namakkal); K.C. Senthilkumar (Erode); S.R. Selvam (Tiruppur); N.R. Appadurai (Coimbatore); S. Muthukumar (Pollachi); N. Thangavel (Karur); A. Elavarasan (Chidambaram); S. Senthamizhan (Mayiladuthurai); T. Sengodi (Nagapattinam); P. Murugesan (Thanjavur); V. Pandi (Sivaganga); V.T.N. Anand (Ramanathapuram); A.S. Ponnuthai (Tenkasi) and R. Gnana Arulmani (Tirunelveli).