DMK releases first list of candidates for Tamil Nadu polls, Stalin to contest from Kolathur
The election will be held in Tamil Nadu on April 6 and the counting of votes will be take place on May 2.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly election in Tamil Nadu. While party chief MK Stalin is contesting again from the Kolathur, his son Udhaynidhi will debut from Chepauk constituency.
Thanga Tamilselvan, who quit the ruling AIADMK to join TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK and later the DMK, has been given the ticket from Bodinayakanur. He will face deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam.
Stalin released the list, retaining most sitting MLAs including seniors Durai Murugan, K N Nehru, K Ponmudi and MRK Panneerselvam - all former ministers, besides others.
Addressing a press conference at the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, Stalin said he will file the nomination on March 15 and embark on the next leg of the campaign.
The DMK is contesting the single-phase election along with Congress and the Left. Apart from these two, the DMK has also firmed up constituency arrangements with others including the MDMK and VCK. It is contesting on 173 of the 234 seats and has allotted the rest to its alliance partners.
Since many of the parties including the MDMK will be contesting on DMK's Rising Sun symbol, the lead partner will be effectively in fray in 187 seats.
The election will be held in Tamil Nadu on April 6 and the counting of votes will be take place on May 2. The DMK-Congress alliance will seek to oust BJP-AIADMK alliance from power and to the ruling saddle after a gap of a decade.
This is the first assembly elections after the demise of towering leaders J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi. The filing of nominations will start on Friday and the last day is March 19.