NEW DELHI: Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief TTV Dhinakaran will contest assembly elections from Kovilpatti this time, instead of RK Nagar.
He will take on information minister Kadambur C Raju of the AIADMK.
C Raju, won the Kovilpatti seat in 2011 and 2016 elections which has been an AIADMK stronghold for at least two decades.
Dhinakaran, is the nephew of former Tamil Nadu chief minister late J Jayalalithaa’s confidante VK Sasikala.
He secured a decisive mandate in the 2017 bypoll, following Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016.
Earlier on Thursday, he asserted “Amma’s true followers will join us and Amma’s party (AIADMK) will be retrieved,”.
Followed by Dhinakaran, disqualified MLA C Jayanthi Padmanaban has been fielded from the Gudiyattam where she was elected in 2016.
Dhinakaran has fielded candidates in Edappadi (Pookadai N Sekar) and Bodinayakanur (M Muthusamy) as well. They are the constituencies of chief minister K Palaniswami and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam respectively.
More disqualified MLAs including M Kothandapani, TA Ezhumalai and S Mariappan Kennedy have been re-nominated from Thiruporur, Poonamallee (reserved) and Manamadurai (reserved) from where they were elected in 2016.
They are among the 18 MLAs who were disqualified three years ago.
Former mayor of Tirupur, A Visalakshi has been fielded from Tirupur South constituency.
Expelled AIADMK MLA, MSR Rajavarman who joined the AMMK earlier in the day has been nominated from his Sattur constituency.
Following ‘Ehirkottai’ SG Subramanian’s disqualification in 2017, Rajavarman was picked by the ruling party. He went on to win the May 2019 bypoll.
However, due to his reported ‘differences’ with Minister KT Rajenthra Balaji, the AIADMK did not field him again and instead named RK Ravichandran, Virudhunagar east district secretary as its candidate from Sattur.
Upset over him being not nominated from Sattur, Rajavarman joined the AMMK.
Incidentally, SG Subramanian days ago rejoined the AIADMK after tendering an apology for siding with Dhinakaran.
On Wednesday, the AMMK released its first list of 15 candidates. Disqualified legislators, P Palaniappan (former minister and fielded from Pappireddipatti), NG Parthiban (Sholinghur), RR Murugan (Harur), M Rengasamy (Papanasam in Thanjavur district) were among the candidates who found a place in the first list.
(With agency inputs)