Chennai: Hours before launching the election campaign on Wednesday, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami released the party’s first list of 23 candidates. Among these, 21 were former ministers, of whom 15 have been renominated from the same constituencies they contested last time.EPS will be contesting for the eighth time from Edappadi, his stronghold, while deputy general secretary K P Munusamy and treasurer Dindigul C Srinivasan are retaining the Veppanahalli and Dindigul constituencies respectively. Three former ministers have been shifted to different constituencies. C Ve Shanmugam has been moved to Mailam from Villupuram, K T Rajenthra Bhalaji has switched to Sivakasi from Rajapalayam, and former agriculture minister S S Krishnamurthy has been shifted to Kalasapakkam from Polur. Most senior leaders, including S P Velumani (Thondamuthur), D Jayakumar (Royapuram), Sellur K Raju (Madurai West), and C Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai), have retained their strongholds. AIADMK has also retained the Thiruparankundram constituency for V V Rajan Chellappa. “Within a day or two, the candidates’ list will be released. There are certain last-minute changes, and the party is going to field candidates who have the best winning possibilities,” said a senior leader privy to the developments.tnn
