BJP to contest local bodies bypoll; Vaiko's MDMK to boycott

With DMK choosing to boycott the September 18 bypolls to local bodies in Tamil Nadu, BJP today announced its decision to face the elections, saying it was holding discussions with its NDA allies.
While NDA partners in the state -- DMDK and PMK, are yet to make their stand clear, another BJP ally MDMK also announced boycotting the elections after discussing the matter in its high-level committee meeting here today.
A release from MDMK announcing the boycott did not specify the reason for the same.
BJP's state unit president Tamizhisai Sounderrajan said the party was in the process of choosing candidates for the bypolls.

"We are in talks with our alliance parties regarding contesting the bypolls," she said in a statement.
The party has formed two panels to elicit views on aspiring candidates for the posts of Mayors and Municipal Chairman, she said.
Bypolls are being held to fill up vacancies in a number of local bodies including to the posts of mayors of Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi corporations.
While AIADMK had already announced its candidates, DMK decided to boycott citing paucity of time in selecting candidates after the State Election Commission (SEC)announced the schedule.