Palanimanickam set to make history, contesting for 9th time

While politicians switching camps is not an unusual thing, DMK’s SS Palanimanickam, who is the party’s candidate for Thanjavur Lok Sabha seat, is set to make history. He will contest on the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol from the same constituency for the 9th time.

Former Union Minister Palanimanickam first contested the election in 1984 on a DMK ticket, repeating it in 1989 and 1991. However, he was defeated on all the occasions.

Still, he remained a staunch DMK man and his patience bore fruit. He contested successfully in the 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009 polls. When the DMK was part of the Congress-led UPA government from 2004 to 2014, Palanimanickam served as the Union Minister of State for Finance.

Although, he was not given a chance to contest in Thanjavur during during the 2014 elections, he never revolted against his party and stayed loyal to its leadership.

Now, Palanimanickam has once again been selected as the candidate of Thanjavur Lok Sabha segment, where he would be standing for the ninth time. His supporters contend that Palanimanickam is the only politician in Tamil Nadu to contest in the same segment with the same symbol for a long period, adding that his chances of a victory were bright.