It's official: Jayalalithaa to contest from RK Nagar constituency

The AIADMK made it official on Friday that its general secretary and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa would contest in the RK Nagar by-election.

Jayalalithaa said in a statement that as per a decision by the party's governing council, she would contest in the by-election at RK Nagar, which will be held on 27 June.

Jayalalithaa was unseated as legislator and chief minister late last year after a Bangalore special court convicted her in a disproportionate assets case.

Now that she has been acquitted by the Karnataka high court and has become the chief minister again, she has to be elected to the assembly within six months. Meanwhile, allies BJP and DMDK also held discussions on the bypoll.

Speaking to reporters after meeting DMDK founder Vijayakant at his party headquarters in Chennai, BJP state president Tamizhisai Sounderrajan said that the two had held 'preliminary discussions' on the issue of contesting the bypoll and that a decision would be taken in due course.

Earlier, BJP had unsuccessfully contested the 13 February bypoll for Srirangam, which was vacated by Jayalalithaa due to her automatic disqualification following her conviction in a wealth case.

AIADMK's P Vetrivel had resigned as MLA of Radhakrishnan Nagar on 17 May.

Meanwhile, social activist 'Traffic' Ramasamy today sought the support of DMK for his candidature for the bypoll. DMK treasurer MK Stalin, who met Ramasamy, later said that party chief M Karunanidhi would take a call on the matter.