The AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami introduced all the candidates at the Tiruchi rally….reports Asian Lite News
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) kickstarted the party’s Lok Sabha election campaign from Tiruchi on Sunday.
The party, which was in an electoral tie-up with the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 Assembly polls, snapped ties in September 2023.
The AIADMK general secretary introduced all the candidates at the Tiruchi rally. It may be noted that for both the Dravidian parties — DMK and AIADMK — Tiruchi is considered lucky. Even a hardcore atheist and non-believer like former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, late K. Karunanidhi used to commence his campaign for the DMK from Tiruchi.
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The first phase of Palaniswami’s campaign that begins from Tiruchi will conclude at Mayiladuthurai on March 31. He will cover Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Ramanthapuram, Kancheepuram, Sri Perumbudur, Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam.
Palaniswami in a short video on Sunday ahead of the commencement of his yatra said, “Beloved voters of Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK‘s poll promises are a reflection of your thoughts and needs.”
In the video he also said that the party‘s manifesto panel had travelled across the state and met people and then prepared the manifesto.
EPS said, “The manifesto has been drafted to ensure that everyone gets everything.”
The AIADMK leader also said that the party manifesto has assured people that the party will stand for them in the Mekedatu and Mullaperiyar water issues.
He said that he was reaching Tiruchi to meet the people, raise their issues, and also requested them to support the AIADMK in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Last week, AIADMK announced its final list of candidates for the upcoming Lok sabha elections.
While announcing list, AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswami said “For AIADMK there is no pressure. When MGR started the party and after MGR demise how Jayalalitha fought. Our party has faced everything. We will face everything legally.”
In the AIADMK list, Prem Kumar will contest from Sriperumbudur, S Pasupathi from Vellore, R Ashokan from Dharmapuri, M Kaliyaperumal from Tiruvannamalai, Kumara Guru from Kallakurichi, P Arunachalam from Tiruppur, D Lokesh Tamil Slevan from Nilgris, Singai G Ramachandran from Coimbatore.
Karthikeyan will fight on Pollachi seat, P Karuppaya from Trichy, Chandra Mohan from Perambalur, Babu from Mayiladuthurai, Panaguri A Xavier Dhas from Sivangangai, Sivasami Vedhanmani from Thoothkudi, Mutu Chozhan from Tirunelveli, Pasiliyan Nazret from Kanniyakumari and G Tamil Vendhan from Pondicherry.
Rani has been fielded fromVilavankodu for the Assembly by-election.
Earlier on Wednesday, AIADMK released its first list of candidates. Tamil Nadu’s main opposition also finalized a seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 with the DMDK.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami and DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth signed the seat-sharing agreement in Chennai on Wednesday.
In the AIADMK alliance the AIADMK will contest 32 seats, DMDMK will contest in 5 seats, SDPI in 1 seat and Puthiya Tamilagam in 1 seat, from Tenkasi constituency.
Tamil Nadu is voting on April 19 in a single phase of polling. During the 2019 general elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which comprised INC, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, AIFB, registered a landslide victory by winning 38 of the 39 seats.
Polling for the Lok Sabha elections will be conducted in seven phases across the nation from April 19 to June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4.
Dhinakaran in Triangular Fight in Theni
The General Secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and former Lok Sabha member from Periyakulam constituency, T. T. V. Dhinakaran is in a three-cornered fight in Theni, in south Tamil Nadu.
Of 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Theni is the only seat which the AIADMK-led NDA alliance won in the 2019 general elections. The 2019 polls in Tamil Nadu was swept by the DMK-led front.
In the ensuing general elections, DMK Theni North district Secretary Thanga Tamil Selvan is the party’s candidate, while V. T. Narayanasamy, who is Theni East Union Secretary of the AIADMK, will be their candidate for the seat.
In the 2019 general elections, it was P. Ravindhranath, son of former Chief Minister, O. Panneerselvam (OPS) who won from the Theni seat defeating senior Congress leader E. V. K. S. Elangovan.
With OPS as the most powerful leader in Theni and Bodinayakanur region throwing his weight behind AMMK candidate T. T. V. Dhinakaran, he seems to be having an edge in the elections.
In the 2019 general elections, Ravindhranath won the seat by a margin of 76,693 votes, defeating Congress leader Elangovan. Interestingly, AMMK candidate Thanga Tamil Selvan (present DMK candidate) received 1,44,050 votes.
Theni has a predominant Thevar population and OPS is highly respected in the commmunity. Dhinakaran has the backing of his aunt, V. K. Sasikala, former close aide of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who also has deep inroads in the Thevar community.
DMK candidate Thanga Tamil Selvan was earlier with AIADMK and was a three-term MLA from Andipatti seat. However, after the passing away of Jayalalithaa, he left AIADMK and joined AMMK.
The party fielded him during the 2019 general elections and he garnered 1,44,050 votes. He then left AMMK and joined DMK.
AIADMK candidate V. T. Narayanasami is a local leader but the fight is between T. T. V. Dhinakaran and Thanga Tamil Selvan.
C. Rajeev, political analyst and Director, Centre for Policy and Development Studies, while speaking to IANS said: “Tamil Nadu politics, as you know, is a combination of caste and ideology. In many seats, caste is dominant and even if the three candidates belongs to the same caste, the caste of the person heading the party becomes significant. In a seat like Theni, the Thevar community is predominant and a leader like OPS has a big clout. It was his clout and influence in Thevar vote bank that has led to the win of his son P. Ravindhranathan. This time T. T. V. Dhinakaran is having an edge and AIADMK candidate is not in the picture at all.”
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