TN Assembly polls | AIADMK receives flak over ticket distribution

The AIADMK’s selection of candidates for the Assembly election and the distribution of certain constituencies to allies received adverse reaction publicly on Thursday from sections of members of the party.

In a chat with The Hindu, former Minister Thoppu N.D. Venkatachalam, who was not fielded again in Perundurai, claimed that though he was not disappointed over the party’s decision not to re-nominate him, the candidate chosen in his place, he said, had “worked against” the party in the past.

He contended that the difference between the AIADMK nominee and the Opposition-backed Communist Party of India (CPI)’s candidate in the Perundurai assembly segment of Tiruppur parliamentary constituency during the 2019 Lok Sabha poll was much lower than in other segments.

The sitting MLA of Sattur in Virudhu Nagar district, M.S.R. Rajavarman, complained that Dairy Development Minister, K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji was behind the denial of party ticket.

Another disappointed party functionary in the district, ‘Gokulam’ M. Thangaraj, was mulling contesting from Virudhunagar Assembly seat as an Independent.

Ex-Congress candidate

In the central district of Pudukottai, a group of AIADMK cadre staged a protest in Alangudi , demanding the replacement of Dharma Thangavel, who had been chosen for the constituency despite having defected to the party from the Congress only a few months ago.

In the Alangudi town, a group of about 600 members of the AIADMK holding party flags and carrying portraits of Chief Minister Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam took out a procession from Sandhaipettai to the bus stand, raising slogans against the selection of Mr. Thangavel.

The candidate hails from a family of politicians. His father Dharmaraj, who is no more, was a member of the AIADMK and chairman of the Vadakadu cooperative society. His uncle Pushparaj had been a Congress legislator twice in the district.

In Chennai, a section of AIADMK workers staged their protest at the party headquarters against the allotment of the Egmore constituency to Tamil Nadu Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) President John Pandian.

Similarly, another group of party volunteers conducted a ‘road roko’ (blockade) at Nazarathpet junction on the Poonamallee-Bengaluru highway to oppose the allotment of Poonmallee to the Pattali Makkal Katchi. Consequently, traffic was disturbed on the highway for a couple of hours in the morning.

Padmanabhapuram seat

The AIADMK, which has almost wrapped up the process of seat-sharing with its allies and distribution of Assembly constituencies among them, is yet to decide on the Padmanabhapuram constituency in Kanniyakumari district.

In its list on Wednesday, the party announced N. Thalavai Sundaram for Kanniyakumari, apart from giving three seats to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On Thursday, Killiyoor was set apart for the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar).

As of now, the AIADMK has named candidates for 178 constituencies, apart from allotting 12 seats to seven of its allies which will all contest on the AIADMK’s symbol of “two leaves”.

On Thursday, the party released its third list of candidates for two seats — Perambalur and Thanjavur. For Perambalur, the party renominated the sitting legislator, R. Tamizhselvan, and in the case of Thanjavur, it chose V. Arivudainambi.

With the selection of Mr. Tamizhselvan, the number of the candidates in the party belonging to Scheduled Castes went up to 30.

Earlier in the day, the party stated that Tiruchuli in the Virudhunagar district had been allocated to the All India Moovender Munnani Kazhagam.