Chennai: If its candidate lists are any indication, AIADMK is banking on its old guard to mount a tough fight in the upcoming assembly elections. A total of 46 sitting MLAs, including 14 former ministers, have been renominated, according to the party’s second list of candidates released by general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday, covering 127 constituencies.In the first list of 23 candidates released earlier, 21 were former ministers, indicating the party’s strategy of relying on experienced hands. Party functionaries said this approach was aimed at consolidating the existing vote base and minimising internal dissent ahead of the polls.While a total of 150 candidates, including 17 women candidates, have been announced so far, names for the remaining constituencies are expected in a day or two. AIADMK is likely to contest around 167 seats in total. The candidate lists released so far also showed that AIADMK is fielding only one Muslim — S Syed Sultan Samsudeen from Palayamkottai. The party has left out a few notable names. Former assembly Speaker P Dhanapal and former ministers Sevoor S Ramachandran and M Paranjothi have been denied tickets, while senior leader S Semmalai has opted out of the race. Dhanapal’s son, D Lokesh Tamilselvan, joined TVK in Feb, alleging that his father was not accorded due respect within the party. Among prominent nominees fielded again, former minister Pollachi Jayaraman will contest from Pollachi, Thalavai Sundaram from Kanyakumari, and Udumalai Radhakrishnan from Udumalpet. Deputy propaganda secretary V T Narayanswamy has been fielded from Bodinayakanur, where former chief minister O Panneerselvam is expected to be in the fray. In Gobichettipalayam, where TVK chief coordinator K A Sengottaiyan is likely to contest, AIADMK has picked relatively lesser-known union secretary V B Prabhu. In Coimbatore, loyalists of former minister S P Velumani — Amman Arjunan, P R G Arun Kumar and K R Jayaram — have been accommodated.Party sources said EPS has also given opportunities to 42 debutants, signalling an attempt to groom a new generation of leaders alongside retaining seasoned faces. Notable among the new entrants is Leema Rose, wife of lottery baron Santiago Martin, who has been fielded from Lalgudi. She recently quit IJK to join AIADMK. Meanwhile, barring Royapuram, the party is yet to announce candidates for the constituencies in Chennai, including chief minister M K Stalin’s Kolathur seat.
