Jaya to contest from RK Nagar constituency

AIADMK supremo and chief minister J Jayalalithaa has been announced as the party candidate for the June 27 by-election to Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency, a seat vacated by her party MLA P Vetrivel.

A decision to this effect was taken at the AIADMK Parliamentary Board meeting here, Jayalalithaa said in a statement.

She had been tipped to contest from the constituency, following Vetrivel’s resignation.

Jayalalithaa had earlier represented her native Srirangam constituency prior to her conviction in the disproportionate assets case by a Bengaluru special court on September 27 last.

As a result, she had to resign her Assembly membership. She was subsequently acquitted by the Karnataka high court on May 11, allowing her to return as the chief minister of the state for the fifth time.

Jayalalithaa assumed the office of chief minister again on May 23 and would have to be elected as an MLA within six months. DMK and PMK have already announced their decision to boycott the bypoll, which comes about a year ahead of the scheduled elections to the state Assembly.

In the present Assembly, AIADMK enjoys a strong majority of 150 members in the 234-member house.