AIADMK begins interviewing of aspirants

The ruling party also invited applications from aspiring candidates for the bypolls to 18 Assembly seats to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

The AIADMK parliamentary board comprising party convenor O Panneerselvam and joint convenor Edappadi K Palaniswami interviewed the aspiring candidates for 10 constituencies, including Salem, The Nilgiris, Karur, Erode, Theni, Madurai and Coimbatore, a party release said.

There are expectations that former union minister GK Vasan- led Tamil Maanila Congress may join the AIADMK front, giving a final shape to the NDA alliance in the state. When asked whether the AIADMK will expand its alliance further, party convenor Panneerselvam said that the party is still holding talks in this regard.

“Wait for some more time, good news will come soon,” he said in response to the inclusion of TMC led by Vasan.

Sitting MPs, including Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai and P Ravi, son of Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam attended the interview. “I have been in the party for the past 21 years and I have appealed the party leadership to issue ticket on the basis of my merit and not as the son of party convenor OPS,” Ravi who is eying Theni seat told reporters at the AIADMK headquarters. The AIADMK in a press statement said that those aspiring to contest in the bypolls should submit filled-in forms and a fee of Rs 25,000 at the party office on March 13 between 10 am to 6 pm, the release said. In case of Tiruvarur seat, there is no need for fresh submission of forms, the party said. The bypolls, considered crucial for the survival of the AIADMK government, is all set to be a tough contest between the AIADMK and the DMK and this time the party will field heavyweights in all the vacant seats, AIADMK sources said. The final list of candidates is to be announced by the end of this week, sources said adding that the sale of forms had already picked up for the vacant seats.

The AIADMK is to field its candidates in all the 18 seats, including Poonamallee, Perambur, Tiruporur, Sholinghur, Gudiyatham, Ambur, Hosur, Harur, Pappireddipapatti, Nilakkottai, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Manamadurai, Andipatti, Periyakulam, Sattur, Paramakudi and Vilathikulam.

Elections to 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry segment will be held on April 18. The AIADMK is to contest in its Two Leaves symbol in 21 Lok Sabha seats leaving 19 seats for its allies comprising the BJP, PMK, DMDK and PuthiyaTamizhagam.