Tamil Nadu polls: Jayalalithaa gives allies 7 seats, sets campaign dates

Prominent candidates among Jayalalithaa’s allies are Republican Party leader C K Tamilarasan (Maduranthagam-reserved), Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaignar Peravai leader U Thaniarasu (Kangeyam), Muslim leader Thameeum Ansari (Nagapattinum or Ottanchathiram) and Tamil Maanila Muslim League leader Sheik Dawood (Kadayanallur).

G K Vasan’s Tamil Manila Congress (TMC), a party that defected from Congress in 2014, which was to be an ally of AIADMK was not given a seat.

Actor-turned-politician Sarathkumar, founder of All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK), will contest from Tiruchendur in the Kongu belt, a constituency with a sizeable number of Gounder votes. Another actor-turned-politician, Karunas, who represents Mukkulathor Puli Padai, a caste organisation representing the Thevar community, has also been given a ticket.

All 234 candidates in the AIADMK-led alliance will contest under the party symbol of two leaves.

Former chief minister and current Finance Minister O Panneerselvam, Electricity Minister Natham R Viswanathan, Housing Minister R Vaithlingam, Handloom Minister Gokula Indira and Minister for Social Welfare B Valarmathi are among the ministers renominated. Education Minister P Palaniappan, a senior leader who was considered the No 4 in the party, was, however, not given a seat.

Sitting ministers S P Velumani, Sellur K Raju, RB Udayakumar, and K T Rajendrabalaji and assembly deputy Speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman are in the race again, while former DGP R Natraj is a new face in the list prepared by Jayalalithaa.

Former DMK MLA Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, former DMDK MLAs Panruti S Ramachandran and Mafoi K Pandiarajan, and PMK MLA M Kalaiarasu, who defected to the AIADMK in 2014 have also been given tickets. P T Elangovan, former PMK MP from Dharmapuri, who broke up with S Ramadoss and joined the AIADMK recently, is another rebel who has got a seat.

The AIADMK’s Chennai city mayor, Saidai Duraisamy, who was widely expected to contest from Kolathur, has not been fielded. C R Saraswathy, AIADMK spokesperson and chairperson of Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board, will contest.

The AIADMK also announced that it will contest from 30 constituencies in Puducherry and seven in Kerala —Thiruvananthapuram, Chittoor, Malambuzha and Nenmara in Palakkad district, and Devikulam, Udumbanchola and Peerumedu in Idukki district.

As for Jayalalithaa’s campaign, the AIADMK announced the April 9-12 dates while a senior party leader said the details are being finalised.

“Our plan is to schedule a visit by the chief minister to all districts where voters and candidates would gather from all constituencies,” the leader said. “Mostly, she will fly out from Chennai every day and return in the evening. Each trip is planned in a such a way that she will be on the ground meeting people for at least five to six hours a day.”

Another senior leader said, “She is a leader who is working as hard as she has always worked, and she monitors each and every stage of the election process herself.”

Following is the list of candidates:

Jayalalithaa – R.K. Nagar

O. Panneerselvam – Bodinayakkanur

Former DGP R. Natraj – Mylapore

K.S. Vijaykumar – Gummidipoondi

P. Balaraman – Ponneri

P.M. Narasimhan – Tiruttani

A Baskaran – Thiruvallur

V. Alexander – Ambattur

T.A. Ezhumalai – Poonamallee

D. Jayakumar – Royapuram

P. Dhanapal – Avinashi

Natham Vishwanathan – Aathur

Parithi Ellamvazhuthi – Egmore

Panruti Ramachandran – Alandur

C. Ponnaiyan – Saidapet

M.C. Munusamy – Velachery

K.S. Seenivasan – Harbour

V.N. Ravi – Virugambakkam

Saraswathi Rengasamy – Theagaraya Nagar

Leo N. Sundaram – Shollinganallur

M. Kothandapani – Thiruporur

Mythili Thirunavukkarasu – Kancheepuram

Walajabad P. Ganesan – Uthiramerur

K. Palani – Sriperumbudur

K.A. Senkotaiyan – Gobichettipalayam

Thousand Lights – Valarmathi

Karunas – Thiruvadanai

Gokula Indira – Anna Nagar

C.V. Elangovan – Pallavaram

V. Neelakandan – Thiru Vi Ka Nagar

Chitlapakkam Rajendran – Tambaram

R. Kamalakannan – Chengalpattu

Kasturi Vasu – Valparai

Arun Kumar – Coimbatore North

Arjunan – Coimbatore South

Singai Muthu – Singanallur

Velumani – Thondamuthur

A. Natarajan – Palladam

V. Senthil Balaji – Aravakurichi

Vinod – Udhagamandalam

Kalaichelvan – Gudalur

Ramu – Coonnor

O.K. Chinnaraj – Mettupalayam

Vijayakumar – Tirupur North

Easwaran – Bhavanisagar

Karupannan – Bhavani

Raja Krishnan – Anthiyur

V.P. Subramani – Modakuruchi

Ponnusamy – Dharapuram

A. Noor Jahan – Chepauk

Seval R. Velu – Vikravandi

Kumaraguru – Ulundurpet

Seval G. Kothandaraman – Thirukoyilur

Rajasekhar – Sankarapuram

C.V. Shanmugam – Villupuram

M. Chakrapani – Vaanur

Annadurai – Mailam

S.P. Rajendran – Tindivanam

Govindasamy – Gingee

Sevoor Ramachandran – Aarani

K. Mohan – Cheyyar

Sellur K. Raju – Madurai West

M. Jayapal – Madural Central

S.S. Saravanan – Madurai South

M.S. Pandian – Madurai North

M. Manikandan – Ramanathapuram

G. Venkatachalam – Salem West

K.R.S. Saravanan – Salem North

A.B. Sakthivel – Salem South

K.S. Thennarasu – Erode East

R. Varadharajan – Erode West

S. Tamizharasi – Tiruchi West

R. Manoharan – Tiruchi East

Nainar Nagendran – Tirunelveli

M. Vijaykumar – Nanguneri

Thalavai Sundaram – Kanyakumari

V. Dorothy Samson – Nagercoil

N.G. Parthiban – Sholingur

S.R.K. Appu – Katpadi

Sumaithangi C. Elumalai – Ranipet

K.V. Ramdas – Arcot

Neelakantan – Vellore

M. Kalai Arasu- Anaicut

G. Loganathan – Kilvaithinankuppam

Nilofer Kafeel – Vaniyambadi

R.Balasubramani – Ambur

K.C. Veeramani – Jolarpettai

T.T. Kumar – Tirupattur

M. Nagaraj – Uthangarai

C.V. Rajendran – Bargur

V. Govindaraj – Krishnagiri

K.P. Munusamy – Vepanahalli

P. Balakrishna Reddy – Hosur

C. Nagesh – Thali

K.P. Anbazhagan – Palacode

M.K. Velumani – Ponnagaram

P.T. Elangovan – Dharmapuri

G.S. Kuppusamy – Pappireddipatti

K. Rajan – Tiruvannamalai

K . Selvamani – Kilpennathur

V. Panneerselvam – Kalasapakkam

C.M. Murugan – Polur

S. Ramachandran – Aarani

Kadir Dhandapani – Rishivandiyam

A.S.A. Rajasekar – Sankarapuram

—-

Yercaud – K. Chitra

Omalur – S.Vetrivel

Mettur – A.Chandrasekaran

Edapadi – Edapadi K. Palanichamy

Sangagiri – S. Raja

Veerapandi – S.Manonmani

Senthamangalam – Chandrasekaran

Namakkal – Bhaskar

Paramatthi Velur – R.R.Rajendran

Tiruchengode – Pon Saraswathi

Kumarapalayam – Thangamani

Perundurai – Thoppu N.T. Venkatachalam

Andhiyur – E.M.R.Raja

Sulur – Kanakaraj

Goundampalayam – V.C. Aarukutti

Kinathukadavu – A.Shanmugam

Pollachi – V. Jayaraman

Madathukulam – K.Manoharan

Pazhani – Kumarasamy

Natham – Shahjahan

Dindigul – S.Srinivasan

Vedachandur – VPB Paramasivam

—

Vijaya Bhaskar – Karur

Chandrasekaran – Kulithalai

R.Chandrasekar – Manapparai

S. Valarmathi – Srirangam

D.Kalaichelvan – Tiruverumbur

M.Vijayamurthy – Lalgudi

Parameswari Murugan – Manachanalur

M. Selvarasu – Musiri

R.T.Ramachandran – Kunnam

Thamarai Rajendran – Ariyalur

JKN Ramajayalingam – Jayamkondan

Kalaichelvan – Vridhachalam

R.Rajasekar – Neyveli

Sathya Paneerselvam – Banruti

MC Sampath – Cuddalore

R.Rajendran – Kurinjipadi

Selvi Ramajeyam – Bhuvanagiri

K.A.Pandiyan – Chidambaram

Radhakrishnan – Mayiladuthurai

Natarajan – Poompuhar

R.Giritharan – Vedaranyam

T. Sudha – Mannargudi

A.N.R.Panneerselvam – Tiruvarur

R.Kamaraj – Nannilam

U.Settu – Thiruvidaimaruthur

Ramanathan – Kumbakonam

Duraikannu – Papanasam

M.G.M.Subramanyam – Thiruvaiyaaru

M. Rengasamy – Thanjavur

R.Vaithilingam – Orathanadu

CV Sekar – Pattuktottai

Govindarajan – Peravurani

Vijayabhaskar – Viralimalai

V.R.Karthick – Pudukottai

Vairamuthu – Thirumayam

Kalaichelvan – Alangudi

Rathinasabapathi – Aranthangi

Ilango – Karaikudi

Ashokan – Thirupathur

G. Baskaran – Sivagangai

Periyapullan – Melur

Seenivel – Thiruparankundram

Udakayakumar – Thirumangalam

Neethipathi – Usilampatti

Thanga Thamilchelvan – Aandipatti

O. Paneerselvam – Podinayackannur

STK Jakkayyan – Kambam

Shyam -Rajapalayam

S.G.Subrahmanyam -Sattur

Rajendrabalaji – Sivakasi

Kalanithi – Virudhunagar

Muthuraja – Aruppukottai

Dineshbabu – Thiruchuzhi

Ramanathapuram – Manikandan

Krithika Muniasamy – Muthukulathoor

Uma Maheshwari – Vilathikkulam

Chellapandiyan – Tuticorin

Bhuvaneshwaran – Srivaikundam

Ramanujam Ganesh – Kovilpatti

Selva Mohandass – Thenkasi

Karthikeyan – Alangulam

Nayinar Nagendran – Thirunelveli

Murugaiyapandiyan – Ambasamudiram

Thamilmagan Ussain – Palayamkottai

Vijayakumar – Nanguneri

G.T.Lawrence – Rathapuram

Thalavaisundaram – Kanyakumari

Bharathi Samson – Nagerkoil

Pachaimaal – Kulaichal

Rajendra Prasad – Padmanabapuram

Nanjil Dominic – Vilavangodu

Mary Kamala – Killiyur

Alliance candidates:

Sarathkumar – Thiruchendur

A. Munusamy – Cheyyur

K.C. Manivannan – Arakkonam

C. Jayanthi Padmanabhan – Gudiyatham

R.R. Murugan – Aroor

M. Dinakaran – Sengam

Meghanathan – Vandavasi

A. Varudhamuthu – Gangavalli

A. Prabhu – Kallakurichi

R.M. Chinnathambi – Athoor

Dr. V.Saroja – Rasipuram

Ponnusamy – Dharapuram

Thangadurai – Nilakottai

Geetha – Krishnarayapuram

Maivizhi – Thuraiyur

Ilambai Tamilichelvan – Perambalur

Aiyasamy – Thittakudi

M.K.Manikandan – Kaatumannar Koil

P.V.Bharathi – Sirkazhi

N. Meena – Keezhvelur

Uma Maheshwari – Thiruthuraipoondi

P.Aarumugam – Gandarvakottai

Mariyappan Kennedy – Manamadurai

Periyapullan – Melur

Kathirkamu – Periyakulam

Manickam – Solavandhan

Chandrapaba – Sriviliputhur

S Muthaiah – Paramakudi

Sundararaj – Ottapidaram

Rajalakshmi – Sankarankovil

A.Manoharan – Vasudevanallur