Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare S. Sundararaj and three other sitting MLAs have been denied ticket to seek re-election in the May 16 Assembly election with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam fielding some old and new faces in the eight constituencies in Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts.
The AIADMK has fielded Muthiah, the party’s district medical wing secretary and a long-time aspirant of Paramakudi (Reserved) constituency, thus denying ticket to Dr. Sundararaj to seek re-election from his home turf. A staunch loyalist of party supremo Jayalalithaa, the Minister got elected from the constituency in 1989 and 1991 before winning the seat again in the 2011 election. He recently stirred up a controversy after visiting a sports hostel in Pudukottai at night and made some unsavoury comments while interacting with the girls.
The party has also denied ticket to M. Murugan, who represented Mudukulathur constituency, and fielded Keerthika Muniasamy, Chairperson of Paramakudi Municipality. Her husband is a former district secretary and she is contesting for the first time.
The AIADMK, which allotted the Tiruvadanai Assembly constituency to its erstwhile ally, DMDK, in the 2011 election, has now given the seat to actor Karunas, founder-leader of Mukkulathor Pulipadai. This seat is held by former DMK Minister Su. Pa. Thangavelan.
The party has fielded . Manikandan, its State medical wing deputy secretary, in Ramanathapuram.
He is the son of Murugesan, who is the party’s district organising secretary, who had unsuccessfully contested against Bhavani Rajendran (DMK) in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
Sivaganga
In Sivaganga district, the party has denied ticket to both Karaikudi sitting MLA Cholan C.T. Palanichamy and Manamadurai MLA S. Gunasekaran. Besides, it has fielded candidates in Sivaganga and Tirupattur constituencies, which were allotted to its allies in the 2011 election.
The party has fielded Karaikudi Municipal Chairperson and former MLA (1991-96) Karpagam Ilango (55) in Karaikudi, V.G. Baskaran (60), a senior party leader, in Sivaganga, K.R. Asokan (44) of Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Peravai in Tiruppattur, and Mariappan Kennedy (41), student wing leader, in Manamadurai.
