DMK nominates political greenhorn to take on Jayalalithaa

Party treasurer M.K. Stalin will be in fray from Kolathur; general secretary K. Anbazhagan opts to retire after fighting 13 Assembly polls.

The DMK on Wednesday released its list of candidates for the May 16 Assembly election retaining most of its former ministers and sitting MLAs. Party leader M. Karunanidhi will contest from Tiruvarur constituency in a bid to enter the Assembly for the 13th time, and party treasurer M.K. Stalin will be in the fray from Kolathur constituency. A notable miss in the list is party general secretary K. Anbazhagan, who opted to retire after fighting 13 Assembly polls.

Three sitting MLAs — Suba Thangavelan and Coonoor K. Ramachandran and Pushpaleela Alban — have been denied nominations. Former Ministers K. Sundaram, S.N.M. Ubayadulla, N. Selvaraj, A. Tamizharasi and N.K.K.P. Raja are also out of the race.

While late Minister Aladi Aruna’s daughter Dr. Poongothai has been fielded from Alangulam, late Union Minister N.V.N. Somu’s daughter S.N. Kanimozhi has been fielded from T. Nagar in Chennai and former Union Minister S.S. Palanimanickam’s brother S.S. Rajkumar will test the waters from Orathanadu. Likewise, the late Veerapandi S. Arumugam’s son A. Rajendran and Mr. Suba Thangavelan’s son Suba. Tha. Divakar have been given ticket.

Interestingly, the party has fielded former Minister S.P. Sargunapandian’s daughter-in-law Shimla Muthuchozhan against Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the R.K. Nagar constituency. Another notable new face is P.T.R.P. Thiyagarajan, son of former Speaker P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan. He has been fielded in Madurai (Central) constituency.

Most former Ministers are contesting from their home constituencies including Duraimurugan in Katpadi. The only exception is K. Ponmudy, who has shifted from Villupuram to Tirukovilur constituency.