Chennai: Eighteen ministers, including finance minister O. Panneerselvam who holds additional charge of portfolios held by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, have been deputed by the ruling AIADMK to oversee election work in four Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry.
Elections to Aravakurichi and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, where polling was cancelled in May due to large-scale poll violations including bribing of voters, and by-elections to Thiruparankundram and Nellithope in Puducherry would be held on November 19.
In a press release issued on Wednesday with the “approval” of Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who is hospitalised, the AIADMK deputed 24 senior leaders, including Ramanathapuram MP A. Anwar Raja and Rajya Sabha MP R. Vaithilingam, for election work in the four constituencies, nominations for which began on Wednesday.
It has been the practice for ruling parties in Tamil Nadu to depute ministers for party work during by-elections. PWD Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy, Electricity Minister P Thangamani, Ramanathapuram MP A. Anwar Raja, Environment Minister K.C. Karupannan and Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar will be the in-charge of the election committee in Aravakurichi.
Rajya Sabha MP R Vaithilingam, Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani, Food Minister R. Kamaraj, Handlooms Minister O.S. Manian, Urban Development Minister Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan, Health Minister C. Vijaya Bhaskar, Agriculture Minister R. Duraikannu, Village Industries Minister G. Bhaskaran and Tiruchy MP P. Kumar will oversee election work in Thanjavur.
The release said party treasurer and finance minister Mr Panneerselvam, Forests Minister Dindigul S. Sreenivasan, Cooperatives Minister Sellur K. Raju, Revenue Minister R.B. Uthayakumar and milk development minister K.T. Rajenthra Balaji will be part of the committee that will carry out election work in Thiruparankundram.
In Nellithope in Puducherry, Law Minister C. Ve Shanmugam, Industries Minister M.C. Sampath, party MLA S. Semmalai and two others will oversee the election work.
TMC to boycott bypolls: TMC leader G.K. Vasan on Wednesday announced that his party would boycott the November 19 bypolls to three constituencies. Vasan also said his party would not support any party in the bypolls and its supporters could vote according to their conscience.
