RK Nagar bypoll set, Dinakaran to run
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu political scene warmed up again with the announcement of a date for the byelection to the state assembly from Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar (RK Nagar) on Friday. The Election Commission, a day after it allotted the Two Leaves symbol to the chief ministers group in Anna DMK, said on Friday that the RK Nagar bypoll will be held on Dec.21andtheresultwillbeannounced on DEC.24.
Leaders of the Anna DMK and the opposition DMK met on Friday itself to ready their battles. The two main factions In ADMK will FACE THE ight together, But the Sasikala group was feared to take away some votes.
TTV Dinakaran, the nephew of Jayalalithaa’s former close aide Sasikala, on Friday announced that he would contest the bypoll from RK Nagar and will indeed win.
The by-poll is expected to witness a multi-cornered contest. Apart from the uniied ADMK, THE DINAKARAN Group, AND THE DMK will Deinitely BE In THE Fray.
Ministers C. Ve Shanmugam and RB Udhayakumar said the party’s leadership (Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam) will name the candidate. Dinakaran was the ADMK candidate in April.
Former Minister E. Madhusudhanan, who was earlier the candidate of ADMK’S Panneerselvam faction, said he would contest again if asked by the party’s leadership. DMK’S earlier candidate Marudhu Ganesh said the party’s winning chances are bright.
Dmkrajyasabhamemberkanimozhi said her party’s high command will decide on the candidate, while the BJP and the CPI said they would hold internal meetIngs of THEIR respective OFICE-BEARERS to decide on their stand.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan said his party’s stand will be decided in two days, while DMDK youth wing president LK Sudeesh announced his party would stay out of the by-election. The Congress said his party would support the DMK.
Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa, who had taken the political plunge and formed the Mgr-amma-deepa Forum to inherit the legacy of her aunt, had in April announced that she would contest the bypoll, but it was not clear whether she would take the plunge this time.
The seat had fallen nearly a year ago when Jayalalithaa passed away. A bypoll was then scheduled in April, but had to be postponed after reports of widespread cash distribution.