NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, MARCH 20
The DMK, which is contesting in 21 out of the 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu in alliance with the Congress and the Left, released its list of candidates on Wednesday. The list comprises three women and several new faces from crucial constituencies. It has allotted the remaining 18 seats to its allies–Congress, Left parties and VCK among others.
#Live: கழக வெற்றி வேட்பாளர் பட்டியல் – தேர்தல் அறிக்கை வெளியீடு #Elections2024 #Vote4INDIA https://t.co/PFwZT2tYJL
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 20, 2024
The party also released its manifesto for the polls, touching upon issues like the appointment of Governors and the abolition of Article 356. The manifesto promises not to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Educational Policy (NEP) and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.
- Manifesto also calls for the posting of the governor only after consulting the CM
- DMK releases list of 21 constituencies, comprises 11 new faces and 3 women
- TR Baalu, Dayanidhi Maran, Kanimozhi, A Raja named in the list
During the meeting held in Chennai, Chief Minister M K Stalin said the manifesto was made after taking feedback from the public all over the state. “It is not only a DMK manifesto but the people’s manifesto. When the BJP came to power in 2014, they destroyed India. None of the election promises were fulfilled. We have formed the INDIA alliance and we will form our government in 2024. In our manifesto, we have announced special schemes for TN and schemes for every district are given in this manifesto,” he added.
திமுக தேர்தல் அறிக்கை!
அக்னிபாத் திட்டம் ரத்து செய்யப்படும்.நாற்பதும் நமதே! நாடும் நமதே! #DMKManifesto2024#Vote4Dmk #Vote4RisingSun pic.twitter.com/OfmX27le4D
— DMK (@arivalayam) March 20, 2024
Party seniors TR Baalu, Dayanidhi Maran, Kanimozhi, A Raja, S Jagathrakshagan and Thamilachi Thangapandian have been renominated. While Baalu and Raja will enter the fray from Sriperumbudur and Nilgiris respectively, Kanimozhi has been renominated from Thoothukudi.
The party has fielded Kalanidhi Veeraswamy from North Chennai, Thamizhachi Thangapandian from South Chennai and Dayanidhi Maran from Central Chennai.
#NikilNews23 #DMK Candidates list
*திமுக* வின் *21* வேட்பாளர்கள் பட்டியல்:
1,தூத்துக்குடி- கனிமொழி,
2,தென்காசி -டாக்டர்.ராணி ஸ்ரீகுமார்.
3,வடசென்னை- டாக்டர் கலாநிதி வீராசாமி,
4,தென்சென்னை- தமிழச்சி தங்கபாண்டியன்,
5,மத்தியசென்னை- தயாநிதி மாறன், 6,ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூர்-… pic.twitter.com/VU13rZ6mO7— Nikil Murukan (@onlynikil) March 20, 2024
At least 50 per cent of candidates in the list are new faces and sitting MPs S.R. Parthiban, S.S. Palanimanickam, M.D.R.D. Senthil Kumar have been denied a ticket this time.
DMK will be contesting from Coimbatore after a decade. The seat that was held by the CPI(M) earlier has been allotted to Ganapathy P. Rajkumar, a new face in the party. Rajkumar, who was the former mayor of Coimbatore and earlier with the AIADMK, joined the party in December 2022.
DMK Trichy strongman’s son K.N. Arun Nehru will contest from Perambalur, the constituency which is held by IJK leader and businessman Parivendhar. Meanwhile, former minister and Villupuram strongman K. Ponmudi’s son and M.P. Gowtham Sigamani did not find place in the list. A sitting MP from Kallakurichi Sigamani was recently raided by the ED along with his father.
The high profile Salem constituency has been allotted to TM Selvaganapathy. Formerly with the AIADMK, Selvaganapathy was once the blue-eyed boy of Jayalalithaa during her 1991-1996 regime. He defected to the DMK in 2008. He was the Rajya Sabha MP of the DMK, but was disqualified after he was convicted in a corruption case. The Madras High Court had set aside his conviction last year, thus paving way for him to return to electoral politics.
Thanga ThamizhSelvan who was formerly with the AIADMK and TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK will contest from Theni. He contested from Bodi against O. Panneerselvam in the 2021 assembly elections.
The new faces include CN Annadurai from Thiruvannamalai, MS Dharanivendhan from Arani, Malaiyarasan from Kallakurichi, KE Prakash from Erode, K Eswarasamy from Pollachi, S Murasoli from Thanjavur and Rani Srikumar from Tenkasi (SC), DM Kathir Anand from Vellore, K Selvam from Kancheepuram (SC).
“Among the candidates, there are 11 new faces, two doctorates, six advocates, three women, 19 graduates and 12 postgraduates,” DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin told the media.
However, the list doesn’t comprise any candidate from the minority community. Though Ramanathapuram has been allotted to alliance party IUML and its candidate will contest in DMK symbol, the party has not fielded any Muslim or Christian candidate in this election.