Tamil Nadu: DMK releases list of candidates for Lok Sabha and by-elections

With 2019 Lok Sabha Elections just a few days away, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Sunday released a list of 20 candidates, with former Union ministers Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja, TR Baalu and its Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi being fielded from Chennai Central, Nilgiris, Sriperumbudur and Tuticorin constituencies respectively. Kanimozhi's Rajya Sabha term is scheduled to end in July this year.

The list of DMK candidates, which includes 13 new faces, was released by party president MK Stalin at a press conference on Sunday. The party has also fielded former Union minister of state S Jagathrakshakan from Arakkonam. The DMK has alloted 19 other seats in the state to its allies.

Addressing the media brief, Stalin has also released a list of 18 candidates for by-elections in Tamil Nadu.

DMK candidates for #LokSabhaElection2019: Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi to contest from Tuticorin. Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran to be DMK candidate from Chennai Central. Another former Telecom Minister, A Raja, to contest from Nilgiris. pic.twitter.com/TlDHE7ldGC

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2019

The development comes hours after the ruling AIADMK on Sunday released the full list of 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry to be fought by it and its allies. On Friday, the DMK too released the distribution of constituencies to be contested by it and its allies in the ensuing General Elections 2019.

Only eight constituencies will see arch-rivals DMK and AIADMK crossing swords one on one. While the DMK is in the fray in all the three parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu, the ruling party will be fighting only from South Chennai, leaving Central Chennai to Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and North Chennai to DMDK.

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Other than South Chennai, the 19 other seats that AIADMK will contest are Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Erode, Karur, Tirupur, Pollachi, Aarani, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram (Reserved), Perambalur, Theni, Madurai, the Nilgiris (Reserved), Tirunelveli, Nagapattinam (Reserved), Tiruvallur, Mayiladuthurai and Kanchipuram.

Elections in Tamil Nadu is scheduled to take place on April 18 for its 39 parliamentary Lok Sabha constituencies. The counting of votes for seven-phase Lok Sabha Elections will be taken up on May 23.