Karnataka polls 2023: AIADMK fields candidate from Pulikeshi Nagar

This is the first time that the party from Tamil Nadu is contesting elections in Karnataka

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Wednesday announced D Anbarasan as the party's first candidate for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.

Anbarasan, AIADMK Karnataka unit presidium chairman, has been fielded for Pulikeshi Nagar (Fraser Town), a reserved constituency.

Party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, in a statement said that the AIADMK parliamentary board had decided to field Anbarasan as an official candidate of the party in Pulakeshi Nagar (SC) constituency coming in Bengaluru.

The AIADMK executive committee met on Sunday to discuss the prospects of contesting the election. However, the initial media reports suggested that the party will not contest the Karnataka Assembly polls and would instead support Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as an ally.

IANS had reported that in its executive meeting, the party decided not to contest the May 10 elections and support the BJP instead.

Anbarasan's candidature comes a day before the last date of nominations for the Karnataka Assembly slated for May 10.

The BJP has fielded Murali from Pulakeshi Nagar.

According to the IANS report, citing a source, the saffron party had requested AIADMK to extend their support to them in the 2023 Karnataka polls, despite contention between them and BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai.

Also Read: Karnataka elections 2023: Modi, Shah, Nadda named BJP's star campaigners

Party symbol

Whether or not the AIADMK will be able to contest the upcoming poll on its two leaves symbol would be known in a few days.

The Delhi high court on April 12 had asked the Election Commission to decide in ten days the representation of Palaniswami to update the records with amended bylaws.

On July 11, the general council of the AIADMK amended the party's bylaws to revert to the post of general secretary by doing away with the dual posts of coordinator and joint coordinator. The council then appointed Palaniswami as AIADMK's interim general secretary, while also expelling the former chief minister O Panneerselvam and his supporters from the party.

However, the AIADMK had contested the Erode bypoll on two-leaves symbol in February following the Supreme Court's intervention.

Congress

In its fifth list on Wednesday, Congress fielded A C Srinivasa from the Pulakeshi Nagar.

The Congress MLA from the Pulakeshi Nagar constituency Akhanda Srinivas Murthy on Sunday tendered his resignation after his name did not appear in the first three lists of candidates by the Congress for the upcoming polls. Murthy handed over his resignation letter to Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri.

Speaking to the media, Murthy said he was disappointed that his name did not appear in the candidate lists. "I am a legislator who has secured the highest number of votes. I was very disappointed when my name did not appear in any of the three lists. My constituency members and I were hurt, so I decided to resign," he said.

The results for the Karnataka Assembly elections  will be declared on May 13