Chennai, March 28 The ruling DMK announced its candidates for 164 constituencies for the April 23 Assembly elections on Saturday, re-nominating Chief Minister M K Stalin and his son and deputy Udhayanidhi from their existing city seats.
Most of the ministers, MLAs, and senior leaders have also been retained.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, DMK president Stalin said he would contest again from Kolathur. Udhayanidhi is seeking re-election from Chepauk-Triplicane, also in the city.
Ministers Durai Murugan (DMK general secretary), K N Nehru, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Thangam Thennarasu, Ma Subramanian, and EV Velu have been retained.
Interestingly, expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, who recently joined the DMK, has been fielded from Bodinayakkanur, the seat he represented in the outgoing Assembly. He had resigned as an MLA after joining the DMK.
Two of Panneerselvam's colleagues, Paul Manoj Pandian and R Vaithilingam, who had joined the DMK earlier, have also been given tickets.
Former minister V Senthil Balaji has been fielded from Coimbatore South.
Earlier in the day, the DMK completed the seat-sharing process with its allies, identifying the constituencies to be contested by the Congress, Left parties, VCK and DMDK, among others. The DMK leads the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the state.
Principal ally Congress' 28 seats include Ponneri, Erode East, Vilavankode, Sivakasi and Karaikudi.
DMDK, led by Premalatha Vijayakanth, has been allotted 10 seats, including Vriddhachalam and Pallavaram.
Thol Thirumavalvan-led Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will contest from eight of the allotted seats, including Kattumannarkoil, Panrutti and Tindivanam.
The allocations to CPI (M) include Padmanabhapuram and Palani, while CPI will face the polls from Thalli and Bhavanisagar (SC), among others. Both Left parties have been given five seats each.
The DMK has also identified seats for other allies, including the Vaiko-led MDMK, which will contest in four seats, including three on the DMK's Rising Sun symbol. Its allocations include Madurai South.
The DMK contests from 164 constituencies, while 11 candidates from alliance parties will contest on the Dravidian party's Rising Sun symbol.
