The Congress, the second major constituent of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led front, has been given five Assembly constituencies in Chennai, regarded as the DMK's traditional stronghold.
Going by the district-wise break-up of the 63 seats allotted to the national party, Chennai accounts for the maximum number of constituencies. The total number of Assembly constituencies in the city is 16.
The Congress will field its nominees in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Royapuram, Anna Nagar, T. Nagar and Mylapore.
This is as part of the agreement signed on Tuesday by DMK president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.V. Thangkabalu at Anna Arivalayam here.
In 2006, when Chennai had only 14 seats, the Congress was given one seat, R.K. Nagar, where it lost.
No seat in Theni
In terms of the region-wise constituency distribution, this time, the southern region – Madurai, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts – constitute a little more than one-fourth of the total number of seats allotted to the national party.
No seat in the Theni district has been given to the Congress. Last time, Theni was allotted to the party. After delimitation in 2008, it has become part of Periyakulam.
In the southern region, the Congress will contest from four constituencies in Tirunelveli district (Vasudevanallur, Kadayanallur, Nanguneri and Radhapuram); three in Kanyakumari and Madurai districts each (Colachel, Vilavancode, Killiyoor, Madurai [North and South] and Thiruparunkundram); two constituencies each in Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Dindigul and Tuticorin districts (Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Karaikudi, Nilakottai, Vedasandur, Vilathikulam and Srivaikuntam) and one constituency in Virudhunagar district (Virudhunagar).
The party has been given three seats each in the northern districts of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai. The constituencies are Tiruttani, Poonamallee, Avadi, Alandur, Sriperumpudur, Madurantakam, Sholingur, Vellore, Ambur, Chengam, Kalasapakkam and Cheyyar.
In Cuddalore and Villupuram districts which form the original South Arcot district, the party will field one candidate each (Vriddachalam and Rishivandiyam).
In the western region, the Congress will contest in 14 constituencies – three each in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts (Thondamuthur, Singanallur, Valparai, Tiruppur-South, Avinashi and Kangeyam); two each in Krishnagiri, Salem and Erode (Krishnagiri, Hosur, Attur, Salem North, Erode West and Modakkurichi) and one each in The Nilgiris and Namakkal districts (Udhagamandalam and Tiruchengode).
In the central districts of the State, the party will field its nominees in 11 constituencies – Papanasam, Pattukottai and Peravurani of Thanjavur district; Manapparai and Musiri of Tiruchi; Thirumayam and Aranthangi of Pudukottai; Karur, Ariyalur, Mayiladuthurai (Nagapattinam district) and Thiruthuraipoondi (Tiruvarur district).
