M K Stalin (Picture credit: MK Stalin X handle)
CHENNAI: DMK on Saturday released its list of 164 candidates for the assembly elections on April 23, retaining most ministers and party seniors, while opting for more than 60 first timers. He said he would release DMK’s poll manifesto on Sunday and start his campaign from March 31. He said deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin will commence his campaign from April 1 and DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi from March 30. The oldest candidate is 86-year-old water resources minister Duraimurugan and the youngest 26-year-old V Kokila Mani in Avanashi. Du-raimurugan is contest-ing for a record 13th consecu-tive time since 1971. He won 10 times.
Releasing the list, chief minister M K Stalin told reporters, “Though we are late, we are the latest”. Stalin said there were many alliance parties with whom they needed to discuss the number of seats and had to satisfy everyone. Stalin said 2021 was a mega alliance and this alliance is a “mega mega alliance”.
Three ministers – N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, T Mano Thangaraj and R Gandhi – were denied seats. Of those who recently crossed over from AIADMK, three-time chief minister O Panneerselvam was given Bodinayakanur, Paul Manoj Pandian Alangulam and R Vaithilingam Orathanadu. Nineteen of the candi-dates are women. R Gandhi’s son Vinoth Gandhi was given a seat again in Ranipet. Similarly, former minister K Ponmudy’s son Pon Gautam Sigamani was given a seat instead of Ponmu-dy in Tirukkovilur constitu-ency. Periyasamy’s son I P Senthil was shifted from Pala-ni constituency to Dindigul constituency, where he will have a direct fight with former AIADMK minister Dindigul C Srinivasan.