AIADMK releases list of candidates

The AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Monday announced that it would contest 227 seats for the May 16 polls with J Jayalalithaa seeking re-election from RK Nagar constituency.

While releasing the candidate list, Jayalalithaa also allocated seven seats to her poll alliance partner. However, the minor allies will be contesting under the AIADMK’s “Two Leaves” symbol.

In 2011 Assembly polls, the AIADMK had contested in 165 constituencies. It also allocated  69 seats to its allies including Left parties and DMDK.

The AIADMK also shut the doors to Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) led by former Union Minister G K Vasan, who was desperately evinced interest in joining the ruling party. The AIADMK also fielded a total of 31 women candidates including Jayalalithaa as against 12 in the previous polls.

Majority
Of the 227 contesting seats, AIADMK retained majority of her Cabinet colleagues including O Panneerselvam, Natham R Viswanathan, Edapady N Palanisamy, P Thangamani, Thoppu N Venkatachalam, Dr Vijayabhasakar, B Valarmathi and S Gokula Indira.

The AIADMK list also includes many former ministers, sitting legislators and some new faces.  A majority of the AIADMK candidates were well qualified and the list has a mix of candidates who had studied, UG, PG, Engineering, medicine and Law.

Golden ticket
Despite nine Vijayakanth’s DMDK sitting legislators joining the AIADMK recently, only Mafoi Pandiarajan and Panruti S Ramachandran alone could get the tickets. Jayalalithaa also announced that her party would go it alone in the Union Territory of Puducherry and announced candidates for all the 30 seats and seven seats in Kerala.

In 2011 Assembly elections, the AIADMK had aligned with All India NR Congress (AINRC) in Puducherry. The alliance won the elections but the relationship between the two soured soon after that.

 In 2011, AIADMK won five seats while AINRC won 15.