With April 5 being the last date for filing nominations, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Pattali Makkal Katchi in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are yet to announce the candidates for some of the seats they are contesting in Tamil Nadu.
Sources in the BJP said the tussle for the Vellore constituency was yet to be resolved as New Justice Party leader A.C. Shanmugam and senior state BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan are “adamant” about contesting.
However, given the factional strife the Tamil Nadu BJP was facing, a senior leader said Ms. Tamilisai may find it difficult to bag the seat.
For Thanjavur, the leader said State BJP president Pon Radhakrishnan was keen on fielding state secretary Muruganandam, who is competing with the senior leader M.S. Ramalingam. On the other hand, the PMK is yet to nominate its candidate for the Nagapattinam constituency. A functionary said the party was also trying to quell dissent in its Salem and Coimbatore units where some leaders were unwilling to work for alliance partners.
