AIADMK to announce its candidate for Tiruvarur bypoll tomorrow

With the opposition DMK and T T V Dhinakaran's AMMK already having named their candidates for Tiruvarur bypoll, the ruling party AIADMK Sunday said its candidate would be announced Monday.

Speaking to reporters here at the Madurai airport, AIADMK coordinator and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam exuded confidence over the party's prospects in the bypoll.

"The candidate would be announced tomorrow morning in the party headquarters. There are good chances for AIADMK's success...," he said.

The ruling party had received 52 applications from aspirants from the party to contest the bypoll.

Two days ago, DMK president M K Stalin announced the candidature of Poondi K Kalaivanan and said his nominee had the support of the party's allies, including the Congress. Kalaivanan is the DMK's Tiruvarur district secretary, a powerful organisational post in the party.

On the same day, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) announced fielding S Kamaraj as its candidate for the bypoll, he will take on Kalaivanan, besides the ruling AIADMK's nominee. Kamaraj is AMMK's Tiruvarur district secretary.

The bypoll to Tiruvarur constituency was necessitated due to the death of former chief minister M Karunanidhi, the sitting MLA from the Assembly segment, on August 7 last year.

Responding to a question on poll alliance for the general elections, he said, "A decision will be taken on this once the Election Commission makes a formal announcement."