Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit chief Nainar Nagenthran said on Friday that he would be contesting the upcoming assembly elections in the coastal state from the Sattur constituency in the Virudhunagar district. Nagenthran had successfully contested the 2021 elections from the Tirunelveli constituency, but the saffron party has not been given this seat under the seat-sharing pact of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Nagendran had defeated Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate ALS Lakshmanan in Tirunelveli by a margin of around 21,000 votes. He received 92,282 or 47.20 per cent votes, while Lakshmanan polled 69,175 or 35.38 per cent votes.
"I will be contesting from Sattur for the April 23 Assembly election. The NDA candidates will emerge victorious in the election," the Tamil Nadu BJP president said, while speaking to reporters during his visit to Kanyakumari.
Apart from Nagendran, BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan will contest from another constituency and not from Coimbatore South, which she had won after defeating Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan by a little over 1,000 votes in the 2021 polls. She received 53,209 or 34.38 per cent votes, while Haasan bagged 51,481 or 33.26 per cent.
Like the Tirunelveli constituency, the BJP has not received the Coimbatore South seat in its share. It is worth mention that the saffron party was given 27 seats in the NDA's pact. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has received the lion's share of 169 seats. Anbumani Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and TTV Dinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) will fight on 18 and 11 seats, respectively.
Srinivasan, who is BJP's Mahila Morcha president, on Thursday had said that she will abide by the party's decision. She also said that K Annamalai, BJP's former Tamil Nadu president, should contest the polls. "Annamalai should contest in the upcoming election and enter the Assembly. It is my personal wish," she said.
The BJP is yet to declare its candidates for the Tamil Nadu elections, where polling will be held in a single phase on April 23 and the counting of votes will take place on May 4.
