After a gap of 18 years, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is set to contest from the Tiruchi Parliamentary Constituency.
The party has fielded its senior member and Tiruchi district secretary S. Sridhar as its candidate for the Tiruchi seat. For the 56-year-old communist veteran this would be the maiden fray in a general election.
A member of the party’s State committee, Mr. Sridhar will compete with theDMK, the AIADMK, and the DMDK in a multi-cornered high pitched poll battle . The electoral fight will get even more intense once the Congress too enters the fray. The last time the CPI-M contested from the Tiruchi Lok Sabha seat was in 1996 when its member T.K. Rangarajan lost to Tamil Maanila Congress member L. Adalaikalaraj.
The CPI-M at that time was an alliance partner of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. After several years, the party is once again entering the fray in a completely different political scenario where it only has the support of the Communist Party of India. Mr.Sridhar who joined the party in 1974 had taken part in various demonstrations in support of public cause organised by the CPI(M) as well as by the CITU and the DREU (Dakshin Railway Employees Union).
