AIADMK on Wednesday, announced R. Anbazhagan as its nominee from Pennagaram constituency for the March 27 bypoll.
The announcement was made by party Chief J. Jayalalithaa in a statement here today. Anbazhagan is AIADMK’S Dharmapuri district secretary.
DMK has already named P.N.P. Inbasekaran, son of late P.N. Periyannan, on whose death the seat fell vacant, as its nominee. PMK has named G.K.M. Tamil Kumaran, son of PMK President G.K. Mani as its nominee from the constituency.
The by-election will be keenly watched by observers as the seat in the northern most Tamil Nadu is considered a PMK citadel because of the concentration of the backward Vanniya community, thought to be the party’s support base.
Mani had represented the seat for two terms from 1996 to 2006, but shifted to nearby Mettur in 2006 assembly polls.
While the DMK and the PMK have already started their campaigns, the AIADMK is yet to do it.
The DMK’s campaign is led by food minister A.V. Velu, while PMK founder Dr. S. Ramadoss is visiting every nook and corner of the constituency, seeking support for his party.
The Election Commission had originally announced that the bypoll would be held on Jan 20, but postponed it after pleas by opposition parties that campaigning would be on by the Pongal festival.
Some opposition parties again appealed to the EC to revise the electoral rolls, alleging that over 40,000 names have been removed from it. After intensive revision, the EC ordered that the polls would be held on March 27.
