CHENNAI: Announcing the bypoll candidates for three seats on Friday, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi retained K.C. Palanisamy for Aravakurichi and Anjugam Boopathy for Thanjavur, besides giving an opportunity in Thirupparankundram to Saravanan, who defected from the MDMK. The announcement by Karunanidhi through a press release, forces the same contest which was cancelled by the Election Commission on allegations of money distribution to voters in May this year. Though the DMK sought fresh applications for bypoll contest, the chances for Palanisamy and Anjugam got a boost after the AIADMK fielded the same nominees in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur.
Palanisamy had represented Aravakurichi Assembly earlier and was elected as Karur MP in the 2009 Parliament elections. The other two are fresh faces in elections. Speaking to the media after the announcement, DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin said the DMK would highlight the deteriorating law and order situation and the unsolved basic issues in the byelection campaign.
He alleged that the functioning of the state government is worse than what it was before the Assembly elections and added that no solutions had been found to the basic problems of people. The law and order situation had deteriorated further, the Leader of Opposition charged. He said the DMK bypoll campaign would begin after consultations with Karunanidhi and asserted that the DMK would win if the elections are free and fair.
Palanisamy, told reporters that the allegations of money distribution against him are not true. DMK’s Thanjavur candidate Anjugam Boopathy, said “The state government is inactive, while her party is fighting vibrantly for people’s issues. I will highlight this in my campaign”. Saravanan, selected for Thirupparankundram, expressed confidence over the DMK’s winning chances in all the three constituencies.
