The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Friday released its second list of 127 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. With this, the party has named 150 of its candidates, as it had earlier announced nominees for 23 assembly constituencies.
The party, which has named many of its senior leaders and former ministers, has retained some of its MLAs in the second list. The AIADMK has named BV Ramana from Tiruvallur, Pollachi V Jayaraman from Pollachi, Maragadam Kumaravel from Maduranthakam, V Sathyanarayanan from Kumbakonam, P Balaraman from Ponneri, K Thiruthani from Tiruttani, V Moorthy from Madhavaram, K Kuppan from Tiruvottiyur, and M Raja (alias) K Rajendran from Chengalpattu.
The seat-sharing pact of the NDA
Last week, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) finalised its seat-sharing pact under which the AIADMK will contest on 169 seats. After the pact was declared, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami called the alliance a "victorious" combine and claimed that the NDA will win at least 210 in the elections. "The AIADMK's goal is to dislodge the DMK from the seat of power. The media did not criticise the deadlock in seat-sharing talks in the DMK front," he said at a press conference.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been given 27 seats, while Anbumani Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will contest on 18 constituencies. TTV Dinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) will contest on 11 seats.
Various other members of the alliance such as GK Vasan's Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), TR Paarivendhar-led Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK), M Jagan Moorthy's Puratchi Bharatham Katchi (PBK), AC Shanmugam's Puthiya Needhi Katchi (PNK), B John Pandian-led Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), and KC Thirumaran's South Indian Forward Bloc (SIFB) will likely contest on the symbol of the AIADMK or the BJP.
Elections to the 234-member Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held in a single phase on April 23. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.
