AIADMK to contest Madurantakam, Dharapuram bypolls

CHENNAI: The AIADMK will contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly bypolls in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram reserved constituencies, party sources said on Wednesday.

AIADMK senior leaders Agri SS Krishnamurthy, KP Munusamy, OS Manian, C Sreenivasan and other party leaders visited the Tamil Nadu BJP headquarters, Kamalalayam here on Tuesday to seek support from the saffron party.

The leaders met BJP state chief Nainar Nagendran.

The senior leaders also convened a crucial meeting at the residence of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami in Chennai to chart out electoral strategy for both constituencies.

Party sources on Wednesday said that the discussions focused on candidate selection, grassroots campaign mobilization, and allocation of election duties across the two constituencies to ensure a synchronised campaign effort ahead of the October 6 election.

A senior party functionary fromt the AIADMK, seeking anonimity, said that the party would contest in both the constituencies with the suppot of its allaince.

The bypolls were neccesiated following the resignation of AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam) and P Sathyabama (Dharapuram) who later joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued the notification for the bypolls, bringing the Model Code of Conduct into force in Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies.

As per the EC schedule, the filing of nominations will take place from September 9 to 16, scrutiny of the papers on September 17, and the last date for withdrawal is September 19. Following bypolls on October 6, votes will be counted on October 9.