Chennai: In these days of smaller parties bargaining for more seats with Dravidian majors, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi on Friday returned the Ulundurpet Assembly constituency offered to it by DMK in alliance seat sharing. The DMK had allotted MMK five constituencies — Thondamuthur in Coimbatore, Ambur, Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam and Ulundurpet.
With reports doing the rounds that DMDK leader Vijayakanth will be contesting from Ulundurpet, the constituency is hitting headlines. An MMK release said the party leader M. H. Jawahirullah will contest from Ramanathapuram. Kovai Sayyadh, M.M. Jabarullah and V. M. Nazir Ahamed will contest from Thondamuthur in Coimbatore, Nagapattinam and Ambur constituencies.
Within minutes of MMK’s decision, the DMK in a press release said the party has decided to field its candidate G.R. Vasanthavel. The release said the change had been effected as its ally MMK expressed inability to contest in Ulundurpet.
Meanwhile, Indian National League, another popular party among minorities, announced its support to opposition DMK in the elections.
In a statement, INL leader K.M. Kader Mohideen said there were about 80 lakh Muslim voters in Tamil Nadu and a majority of minorities wanted a change in state politics.
