Left to field candidate against AIADMK chief Jaya in bypoll

The CPI will field its candidate in the R K Nagar Assembly bypoll against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, who is seeking re-election from the constituency.
The yet to be announced CPI candidate will be supported by its ideological sibling the CPI(M), it was decided today at a meeting of senior leaders of both the parties here.
The decision of the Left parties to field a candidate against Jayalalithaa assumes significance as AIADMK's arch- rival DMK, Vaiko-led MDMK, VCK, and NDA ally PMK have decided not to contest the June 27 bypoll and have announced a boycott.

"It has been decided unanimously at a meeting held today with CPI(M) leaders that our party will field a candidate and Marxists will extend full support to our nominee," CPI State R Mutharasan told PTI.
Emerging from the meeting, Mutharasan said, "The name of our party candidate will be announced in a day or two."
Asked if his party and the CPI(M) would seek the support of other political parties for its candidate, he said,"We are yet to discuss it."

"We will never seek the support of BJP or the Congress. Other parties we are yet to think."
Besides Mutharasan, senior CPI functionaries Veerapandian and former MLA Periasamy participated in the meeting. G Ramakrishnan and sitting MLA A Soundararajan were among those who represented the CPI (M).

Meanwhile, the filing of nominations for RK Nagar bypoll began today.
A host of independent candidates including social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy, K Padmarajan, M Ahamed Shahjahan filed their nominations today, an official release from the Chief Electoral Officer said.
Republican Party of India candidate D Ravi Paraiyanar and People's Party of India (Secular), R Abraham Raj Mohan were among those who filed their nominations, it said.
Ramaswamy has been seeking the support of various political parties, including the DMK, for the bypoll. The DMK had said that it will consider the request of Ramaswamy for support.
RK Nagar seat here fell vacant on May 17 after AIADMK's P Vetrivel resigned following the acquittal of Jayalalithaa on May 11 by the Karnataka High Court in the disproportionate assets case.