In 2nd list, AIADMK banks on incumbents

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Wednesday released its second list of 171 candidates for the April 6 assembly elections in the state and identified the constituencies to be contested by its allies, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (23 constituencies) and Bharatiya Janata Party (20).

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) also released their first lists on Wednesday.

The AIADMK earlier announced six candidates, including chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, taking the total number of seats it will contest to 177. The party set aside the remaining seats -- there are 234 in all -- for smaller parties in its coalition.

The party has retained most of its ministers MLAs, including veterans and prominent ones such as JCD Prabakar from Villivakkam, former mayor Saidai Duraisamy from Saidapet, S Gokula Indira from Anna Nagar, BA Valarmathi from Alandur, and former DGP R Nataraj from Mylapore .

Several ministers including municipal administration minister SP Velumani from Thondamuthur, health minister C Vijayabaskar from Viralimalai, Tamil culture minister K Pandiarajan from Avadi, school education minister K A Sengottaiyan from Gobichttipalayam and social welfare minister V Saroja are seeking re-election.

Two Rajya Sabha MPs, KP Munusamy and R Vaithilingam, have also been fielded from Vepanahali and Orathanadu, repectively.

The party has allotted 23 constituencies to PMK and 20 constituencies to the BJP.

Later in the day, PMK released a list of 10 candidates in which a prominent face is the party president G K Mani who will contest from his stronghold of Pennagaram constituency in the western district of Dharmapuri.

The BJP will contest from urban constituencies such as Harbour and Thousand Lights in Chennai, which are strongholds of the main opposition party in the state, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

The BJP will also field its candidates in Coimbatore South and Madurai North constituencies.

Supporters of AIADMK MLA Amman K Arjunan, who has been shifted to Coimbatore North, protested outside the party office in the district against the decision before the announcement was made.

Amid speculation that the BJP will field actor-turned-politician S Khushboo from Chennai’s Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, the AIADMK allotted the seat to PMK.

PMK has been allotted most seats in the northern belt of Tamil Nadu and a few western districts, both dominated by the party’s core vote bank, the Vanniyar community.

Meanwhile, Haasan’s MNM released its first list of 71 candidates on Wednesday. Key names contesting in Chennai include late former President Abdul Kalam’s scientific advisor V Ponraj from Anna Nagar, former bureaucrat Santosh Babu from Villivakkam, environment activist Padmapriya from Maduravoyal and social worker Sneha Mohandoss from Saidapet.

In its first list, AMMK named 15 candidates for the assembly elections. The party entered an alliance with Viduthalai Tamil Puligai Katchi on Wednesday and allotted one seat to them.

So far, there are only a few women candidates -- AIADMK has fielded 14 women out of its 177 candidates and Haasan’s party has eight women out of 71 candidates.

The DMK has also identified constituencies for its allies Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) led by Vaiko and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). MDMK will contest under the DMK’s symbol from six constituencies, two of which are reserved. IUML will contest from three under their own symbol.

“The positive side in the AIADMK list is that they have fielded heavyweights who know the constituency in and out but the flip side is when they’re facing 10-years of anti-incumbency, familiarity can breed contempt,” says political commentator Maalan Narayanan. “Palaniswami has clinched the deal in his favour by containing the BJP which was demanding more seats from the western belt but since that’s the AIADMK’s citadel they have given the BJP only two seats in the west. AIADMK has also ensured its ally’s PMK’s victory by giving them vanniyar dominated areas. AIADMK hasn’t interfered in the southern districts which I expect will be a direct contest between the BJP and Congress.”