Congress to field nine candidates in central region

Jerome Arockiaraj is likely to be fielded from Tiruchi East Assembly constituency

The Congress will contest in nine Assembly seats in the Central region out of 41 constituencies allotted to it as per the agreement reached the party with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Tiruchi East is a prominent constituency in the Central region that has been allotted to the Congress this time by the DMK.

The other Assembly segments from where the Congress will fight it out this time are: Musiri (Tiruchi district), Karur, Jayankondam (Ariyalur district), Pattukottai (Thanjavur district), Papanasam (Thanjavur district), Nannilam (Tiruvarur district), Aranthangi (Pudukottai district), and Vedaranyam (Nagapattinam district).

With Tiruchi East having been given to the Congress, the talk strongly doing the rounds in political circles here is that the party might field its Tiruchi urban district president G. Jerome Arokiaraj – a close confidant of TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan. There was also talk earlier that Mahesh Poyyamozhi, grandson of DMK’s yesteryear stalwart Anbil Dharmalingam, was eyeing the seat.

Mr. Arokiaraj contested from Srirangam seat in the 2006 elections when he tasted defeat at the hands of the AIADMK in that Assembly election.

The Tiruchi East constituency accounts for a chunk of members from the minority community which Mr. Jerome would heavily bank upon if given the ticket.

A glaring omission for the Congress is the Aravakurichi seat where the party’s spokesperson S. Jothimani, said to be a part of Rahul Gandhi’s brigade, had kicked off campaign early projecting herself as the potential candidate for that seat.

With Aravakurichi has not been allotted to the Congress, party sources here say there is a possibility of Ms. Jothimani being given a ticket in Karur constituency is not ruled out.

However, Ms. Jothimani made it clear that she was not keen on contesting from any other seat exuding hope that things could change in the near future.

With respect to Aranthangi constituency, speculation is rife that the seat may be given to the son of party’s senior member Su. Thirunavukkarasar who was elected six times from that seat.

With constituencies for the Congress having been announced, the party is likely to finalise the list of its candidates in a week.

TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan would canvass for the party in Tiruchi East and other seats in the near future, says a senior member here.