The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Sunday released the list of constituencies to be contested by it and its allies for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in the State and Puducherry.
The AIADMK will field its nominees in 20 constituencies excluding Vellore, where the New Justice Party (NJP) will contest on the ruling party’s symbol of ‘two leaves.’
The constituencies where the AIADMK will field its candidates are: Tiruvallur, South Chennai, Kancheepuram, Arani, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram, Krishnagiri, Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Tiruppur, Nilgiris, Pollachi, Karur, Mayiladuthurai, Perambalur, Nagapattinam, Madurai, Theni and Tirunelveli.
The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which has returned to the AIADMK fold after 10 years, will field its candidates in seven constituencies: Sriperumpudur, Dharmapuri, Central Chennai, Cuddalore, Arakkonam, Villupuram and Dindigul.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a major player in stitching up the alliance in the State, will face the electorate of five seats: Kanniyakumari, Sivaganga, Thoothukudi, Coimbatore and Ramanathapuram.
The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which aligned with the AIADMK after a gap of eight years, will contest in four constituencies: North Chennai, Kallakurichi, Tiruchi and Virudhunagar.
The Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), the Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT) and the All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) will field its nominees in Thanjavur, Tenkasi and Puducherry respectively.
In the outgoing Lok Sabha, the AIADMK has 37 MPs while the BJP, PMK, and the AINRC have one each.
The details were provided by AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam in the presence of party coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, BJP leaders Tamilisai Soundarajan and H. Raja, and New Justice Party's (NJP’s) chief A.C. Shanmugam.
Representatives of the PMK and the DMDK were conspicuous by absence. When asked by reporters about their absence, Mr. Panneerselvam dismissed it.
He added that the list of candidates of his party would be announced later in the day, after the interview with aspirants for the Assembly by-elections was over.
