DMK renominates 7 out of 8 MLAs

In Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts

The DMK has renominated seven out of eight MLAs in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts for the Assembly elections.

In Tiruvarur district, T.R.B.Rajaa will be seeking the mandate to represent the Mannargudi constituency for the third consecutive term and Poondi K.Kalaivanan for a full-term of five years as MLA from Tiruvarur. At Nannilam, the DMK Kudavasal union secretary, S.Jothiraman has been fielded against the Food Minister R.Kamaraj of AIADMK.

While Govi.Chezhian, MLA representing Thiruvidaimaruthur (reserve) constituency has been given the ticket to contest from the same constituency, M.Ramachandran, MLA, will contest again from Orathanadu. Sitting MLAs G.Anbalagan, Durai Chandrasekaran and T.K.G.Neelamegam have been renominated from Kumbakonam, Thiruvaiyaru and Thanjavur respectively.

The DMK has also decided to throw its hat in the ring at Peravurani and Pattukottai constituencies. While N.Ashok Kumar who had lost the race in the 2016 would try his luck again at Peravurani, former MLA K.Annadurai has been fielded at Pattukottai.

Nagapattinam

In the three constituencies in the composite Nagapattinam district where it would have a direct fight with the AIADMK, the DMK has fielded old and familiar faces in Vedaranyam and Sirkazhi and a first-time contestant in Poompuhar. The DMK has allotted the three other constituencies to its allies VCK (Nagapattinam), CPM (Kilvelur) and Congress (Mayiladuthurai).

In Vedaranyam, S.K. Vedarathinam of DMK will take on sitting MLA and Minister O.S. Manian, and in Sirkazhi, the DMK candidate M. Paneerselvam is pitted against the AIADMK sitting MLA P.V. Bharathi. In Poompuhar, the DMK candidate has fielded a local functionary Nivedha Murugan against the sitting AIADMK MLA and current candidate S. Pavunraj.

S.K. Vedarathinam, a three-time MLA as a DMK partyman and who had switched over to BJP for the 2016 elections, rejoined the DMK last July. Before joining BJP, he had been with the DMK for nearly 35 years and won as its candidate in 1996, 2001 and 2005 elections. He walked out of the party in 2011 and contested as an Indepndent candidate after the constituency was allotted to PMK. Mr. Vedarathnam joined BJP in 2016 elections and lost to Mr. Manian by a margin of nearly 30,000 votes, ending up in the third spot.

In the 2016 election, Mr. Manian secured 60,836 votes, as against 37,838 by P.V. Rajendiran of Indian National Congress, and 37,086 by Mr. Vetharathinam. As an Independent in 2011, Mr. Vedarthinam ended as the runner up with 42,871 votes, losing to N.V. Kamaraj of AIADMK who secured 53,799 votes.

This time, however, going by the combined strength of the principal party and allies in Vedaranyam constituency, the DMK has the support base of Congress and the Communist parties.

In Sirkazhi, M. Paneerselvam of DMK was the winner in 1989, 1996 and 2006 elections. In the 2016 elections, P.V. Bharathi who has been retained as the AIADMK candidate for the 2021 elections had defeated S. Killai Ravindran of DMK.

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