Madurai: Puthiya Tamizhagam has managed to secure three reserved constituencies in the southern districts where it has a strong presence. The DMK had allotted four seats in all to PT.
Among the three constituencies is Ottapidaram in Thoothukudi district where party leader Dr K Krishnasamy is a sitting MLA. The two other constituencies — Vasudevanallur and Srivillaputhur — fall under Tenkasi Lok Sabha constituency, where he also contested in the DMK alliance in the 2014 LS election.
Out of 2,62,812 votes polled from five assembly segments in the Lok Sabha election, Krishnasamy scored 40,000 votes from Vasudevanallur, party functionaries said. “As there is more of a winning possibility in Vasudevanallur, our leader stood firm in getting that constituency during the seat sharing talk with DMK,” they claimed.
The PT functionaries have already completed the ground work in the constituency. "For the last two months, we have been meeting community leaders and asking their support for the party," said a functionary. It has also been revealed that Krishnasamy is considering Vasudevanallur for this election.
The PT boasts a track record of a decent vote percentage during the two previous Assembly elections from the same constituency. In 2006 election, PT came third (14,216 votes) when it contested along with BSP alliance. In the 2001 Assembly election, the party candidate Thangapandian finished second with 36,467 votes when contesting as part of AIADMK alliance.
In Ottapidaram, Krishnasamy won the election as a Janata party candidate in 1996 and in the same year he launched his party and won in 2011 election as part of the AIADMK alliance. The party also has strong presence in Srivilliputhur constituency, claim party functionaries. Meanwhile, DMK has allocated Kadayanallur to the Indian Union Muslim league.
