AIADMK names candidates for Lok Sabha polls

AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Monday announced her party's candidates for the 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry seat for the general elections.

Announcing the list of 40 candidates at a media conference here, she said some of them would be withdrawn once the seat sharing agreement is reached with the two left parties.

She said talks are on with the left parties and she is satisfied with the two allies to fight the elections.

Jayalalithaa has dropped six out of the nine sitting Lok Sabha memberst.

The three who will be contesting again are: M. Thambidurai (Karur), P. Kumar (Tiruchirappalli), and P. Venugopal (Thiruvallur).

The six who were dropped are M. Anandan (Villupuram), O.S. Manian (Mayiladuthurai), C. Rajendran (Chennai South), S. Semmalai (Salem), C. Sivasami (Tiruppur) and K. Sugumar (Pollachi).

Two of the sitting MPs - Rajendran and Sugumar - had figured in the Cobrapost expose that showed 11 members of parliament (MP) willing to give recommendation letters to a fictitious oil firm for a price.

Out of the 40 candidates, 15 have a law degree and four are medical doctors.

Jayalalithaa, who turned 66 Monday, also announced that she would start her first phase whirlwind election campaign programme March 3 and wind up April 5. She would address meetings at 19 constituencies during that period.