AIADMK retains majority of Chennai district constituencies, face-off with DMK in 13 seats
AIADMK has fielded several senior leaders and former ministers to challenge the ruling DMK in Chennai, setting up direct contests in 13 of the city’s 16 Assembly constituencies in what is expected to be a multi-cornered electoral battle.
Chennai: With the opposition AIADMK retaining for itself a majority of the Assembly constituencies in Chennai district, the party would face the ruling DMK in a direct contest in as many as 13 out of 16 seats.
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday fielded an array of former state ministers, party seniors and women to take on the DMK in Chennai, considered as the DMK’s stronghold.
Party’s former state ministers: B Valarmathy and Gokula Indira would take on the DMK’s sitting MLA N Ezhilan, and party functionary N Chitrarasu, from Thousand Lights and Anna Nagar constituencies, respectively.
Porkodi, the wife of slain BSP leader Armstrong, has been fielded from Thiru Vi Ka Nagar where she would take on K S Ravichandran of the DMK in this reserved constituency.
Party seniors P Santhanakrishnan and Aadhi Rajaram will engage Chief Minister M K Stalin and his Deputy Udhayanidhi in a direct contest in Kolathur and Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituencies, respectively.
Heavyweight D Jayakumar, besides senior AIADMK functionaries: K P Kandan, Royapuram R Mano, Virugai V N Ravi are also in the fray from other constituencies.
The DMK has renominated its sitting MLAs John Ebenezer (Dr Radakrishnan Nagar), Shekar R D (Perambur), A V M Prabhakara Raja (Virugambakkam), besides its Ministers P K Sekar Babu (Harbour) and Ma Subramanian (Saidapet).
The AIADMK is contesting from 13 constituencies in Chennai and has allotted the Mylapore, Saidapet and Perambur to its allies, viz. the BJP, AMMK, and PMK.
Though former film director Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi is also in the fray, the presence of Vijay-led TVK would make the election a quadrangular contest.
The DMK is seeking re-election from 15 out of 16 constituencies that it had won in the 2021 Assembly election, though it has fielded new faces this time.
