BJP Planning to Contest From 31 Constituencies
The AIADMK will have to share the remaining 203 among its allies that include the PMK faction of Anbumani Ramadoss, TMC and a host of other parties
Chennai: The BJP that has already struck an alliance with the AIADMK for the coming Assembly elections in the State is likely to contest from 31 constituencies, whose names came out into the public domain after the party appointed 7 leaders as in-charges with the mandate to oversee the poll related work in specific seats.
While there was a speculation that the seven ‘in-charge’ leaders would not be among the contestants to be fielded by the party, the possibilities for it less since sitting MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, now representing Coimbatore South will also be in charge of that seat besides Tiruppur South and Coonoor.
Other than Union Minister of State L Murugan, who has been entrusted with 5 seats. the other leaders appointed to oversee constituencies are likely aspirants for the contest to the Assembly.
They are K Annamalai (6 seats), Tamilisai Soundararajan (3), H Raja (5), V P Duraisamy (3) and Pon Radhakrishnan (4), all of whom have fought elections in the past.
Going by the list of constituencies and the leaders put in-charge of them, as announced by BJP State president Nainar Nagenthiran, the possibility of Pon Radhakrishnan trying for an Assembly nomination is ruled out as rumours had it that he wanted to contest from Nagercoil.
That constituency was won by his party colleague M R Gandhi in 2011 but now, going by the list of constituencies, Nagercoil is not there at all among those entrusted with Radhakrishnan, who has been given Mettupalayam, Palani, Tenkasi and Paramakudi.
The constituencies allocated to K Annamalai are Singanallur, Madurai South, Virugambakkam, Karaikudi, Srivaikuntam and Padmanabhapuram and to L Murugan are Tiruparankuntam, Radhapuram, Valparai, Tiruppur North and Ooty to L Murugan.
Tamilisai Soundararajan has been allotted Gummidipoondi, Mylapore, Nanguneri, Pollachi and Killiyur, while H Raja will take care of Mudukulathur, Villavancode, Tirupattur, Sivaganga and Ulundurpet.
V P Duraiswami has been entrusted with Egmore, Rasipuram and Paramathivelore and Pon Radhakrishnan with Mettupalayam, Palani, Tenkasi and Paramakudi.
So, the AIADMK will have to share the remaining 203 among its allies that include the PMK faction of Anbumani Ramadoss, TMC and a host of other parties.
