More AIADMK men seek ticket for bypolls

CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam along with senior ministers spent most of their time at the party office, holding back to back meetings on the list of candidates and the Lok Sabha seats to be contested by the party. Issues like symbols that the allies will be contesting and the seats for partners were discussed till late evening.

Having allotted 20 of the 40 seats to its allies, AIADMK is set to contest from the remaining 20 seats in the elections in TN and Puducherry. In case of Assembly seats, it will contest from all 18 vacant seats.

“The list of seats to be contested by AIADMK is ready and the list will come anytime. Our party is ready for the polls and will win both the Lok Sabha and the bypolls,” Minister D Jayakumar told reporters on Wednesday. Since morning when it started giving out forms, the party had received over 100 applications by evening. In the past two days, it interviewed over 1,700 candidates for Lok Sabha polls.

AIADMK has already sealed seat-sharing pacts with PMK, BJP, DMDK, NJP and Puthiya Tamizhagam. “Last minute discussions with BJP and DMDK functionaries are on and the final list will come by Friday. The campaign will be commenced at Erode and it will be addressed by CM and deputy CM,” a functionary said.