In an attempt to downplay Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar’s father seeking an AIADMK ticket to contest from the Karur Parliamentary seat, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and the sitting MP of the constituency M.Thambi Durai on Friday said the party would decide who to field from the constituency.
In a brief interaction with the reporters after receiving petitions from the public in the Aravakurichi segment in his constituency, Mr. Thambi Durai observed that anybody can seek a party ticket to contest the election. “There is no guarantee that I will get the ticket. The party high command (‘thalamai kazhagam’) will decide,” he quipped, adding that if someone else was nominated, he would work for the victory of the party candidate.
Mr.Thambi Durai, who has been touring the length and breadth of the Karur constituency over the past few months to receive petitions from the people and address demands for basic amenities, is widely expected to be re-nominated from the constituency.
R.Chinnathambi, father of Mr.Vijaya Baskar, submitting an application at the party headquarters seeking to contest from the Karur Lok Sabha constituency has raised eyebrows. It has also caught partymen by surprise.
Mr. Thambi Durai has been highly critical of the BJP government at the Centre in recent months and his comments were seen to be an embarrassment as the AIADMK is expected to seal an alliance with the BJP. He parried questions on alliance saying that he was not part of the committee formed by the party to decide on the issue.
The Karur Lok Sabha constituency extends up to Viralimalai in Pudukottai district, from where Mr.Chinnathambi hails. Mr.Vijaya Baskar represents the Viralimalai constituency in the Assembly.
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks that the Opposition alliance was “adulterated,” Mr.Thambi Durai said any electoral alliance by nature was an adulteration.
