The AIADMK faction led by rebel leader O Panneerselvam on Monday withdrew its candidate for the Erode East bypoll in Tamil Nadu and said it would work for the party’s official nominee in the election. “We will campaign for the AIADMK to win. It is immaterial who has been nominated on behalf of the party as the candidate for the bypoll. We will ask the public to vote for the two-leaf symbol founded by Puratchithalaivar MGR (M G Ramachandran) and protected by Puratchithalaivi Amma (J Jayalalithaa),” said K P Krishnan, who addressed the media along with R Vaithilingam, J C D Prabhakar and other leaders of the camp. Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had put up former MLA K S Thennarasu for bypoll when Panneerselvam nominated B Senthil Murugan, a lesser known figure, as his candidate a week ago. It was feared that the Panneerselvam camp’s candidate could cost the AIADMK its symbol and eat into the official candidate’s vote share. AIADMK presidium chairman A Tamil Magan Hussain and senior party leader C Vee Shanmugam have reached New Delhi to hand over to the Election Commission the party general council’s letters of support to Thennarasu as per directions of the Supreme Court. Shanmugam told the media that 2,501 out of the 2,646 members supported Thennarasu and hoped the election watchdog would make a decision in their favour. A couple of days ago, the state BJP called for a common candidate on behalf of the National Democratic Alliance, of which the AIADMK is a part, to defeat the DMK-supported Congress candidate. The bypoll, necessitated by the death of Congress MLA Thirumahan Everra, will be held on February 27.
