Karunanidhi, Stalin contesting from present seats

Chennai, Mar 30: DMK President and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will seek reelection from Chepauk constituency, while most of the party's frontrunners have been renominated to contest the May 8 Assembly elections.

The DMK, heading the Democratic Progressive Alliance in the state, is contesting 129 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu.

A day after releasing the DMK's election manifesto, Mr Karunanidhi released the list of candidates this evening amid high expectations. Most sitting MLAs and former Ministers have been nominated again.

Party Deputy General Secretary and Mr Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin will test his strength again from the Thousand Lights seat, where he will cross swords with the AIADMK's Aadhi Rajaram.

While party General Secretary K Anbazhagan will seek a mandate again from Harbour constituency, Treasurer Arcot N Veerasamy will contest from his Anna Nagar seat.

Former Deputy Speaker Parithi Ilamvazhuthi too has been nominated again from Egmore, while actor-politician Napolean has been shifted from Villivakkam and fielded in Mylapore, where he will battle it out with his film colleague and AIADMK rival S V Sekar.

The party has chosen to field Mr Seeman against AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in Andipatti.

Messrs P T R Palanivel Rajan, KKSSR, K N Nehru, Ko Si Mani, M R K Panneerselvam, K Ponmudi, Duraimurugan, Pongalur Palanisamy, Veerapandi S Arumugam, former Deptuy Speaker V P Duraisamy and former Minister Rahman Khan are some prominent candidates.

Mr Karunanidhi will be seeking a mandate from Chepauk for the third consecutive time. Incidentally, this is the first time the DMK chief has chosen to contest from a particular seat thrice. The party has renominated 23 of 28 sitting MLAs, including Anbil Periyasamy (Trichy-one), K N Sekaran (Thiruverambur), S K Vedarathinam (Vedaranyam), S N M Ubayadullah (Thanjavur), E V Velu (Tandarampattu) and J Anbalagan (T Nagar).

Former Ministers K Ponmudi and Duraimurugan have been nominated again from their respective Villupuram and Katpadi constituencies.

As many as 13 women, including former Minister Sarguna Pandian, are contesting the election. The party has nominated Poongothai, daughter of former Minister Aladi Aruna, in Alangulam.

Appavu, who recently joined DMK, has been fielded in Radhapuram, the seat won by him as an independent in the 2001 Assembly elections.

Former AIADMK Minister S Rajakannappan, who merged his 'Makkal Tamizh Desam' with the DMK in the run up to the polls, has been given the Ilayankudi seat.

Messrs Asokan, Bharanikumar, Khader Moideen, S A M Hussein and Vaithialingam are the five sitting DMK MLAs who failed to make it.

Of 129 seats, the party allotted Palayamkottai, Aravakurichi and Vaniyambadi to the Indian Union Muslim League. While H Abdul Basith has been nominated for Vaniyambadi, it is M A Kalleelur Rahman for Aravakurichi. The IUML is yet to name the person for Palayamkottai.

Following is the list of candidates :

G K Mani (Mettur), J Guru (Jayamkondam), Dr R Govindasamy (Vridhachalam), K Arumugam (Chengalpattu), K Raviraj (Tiruttani), D Velmurugan (Panruti), T K Raja (Tirupattur), P Senthamizhselvan (Melmalayanur), K L Ilavazhagan (Arcot), Ethiroli Manian (Peranamallur), A Tamizharasu (Omalur), K Aalayamani (Thiruvidaimaruthur), S R Bhaskaran (Saidapet), M K Periasamy (Poompuhar), Sakthikamalammal (Kancheepuram), K V Ramanathan (Bhavani), D A Meganathan (Kaveripattinam), N M Karunanidhi (Tindivanam), K Mannan (Palacode), Kalidas (Kalasapakkam), Durai Jayavel (Gummidipoondi), K Gopi (Vargur-Reserve), Devados Padayaandavar (Bhuvanigiri), Kannian alias P Kannan (Tharamangalam), V A T Kalivardhan (Mugaiyur), D Moorthy (Tiruporur-reserve), N Soundararajan (Vaanur-reserve), Dr Nedunchezhiyan (Kapilarmalai) and V Cauvery (Edapadi).

Following are the list of candidates with name of the constituency.

1. M Karunanidhi - Chepauk, 2. K Anbhazhagan - Harbour, 3. Arcot N Veerasami - Anna Nagar, 4. M K Stalin - Thousand Lights, 5. Parithi Ilamvazhuthi - Egmore (Res), 6. Ms S P Sarguna Pandian - Rayapuram, 7. J Anbazhagan - T Nagar, 8. M Naganathan - Triplicane, 9. T Napolean - Mylapore, 10. V S Babu - Purasawalkam, 11. A Rehmankhan - Park Town 12. K P P Sami - Tiruvottiyur, 13. E A P Sivaji - Tiruvallur, 14. P Ranganathan - Villivakkam, 15. V Anbuvanan - Ponneri (Res), 16. T M Anbarasan - Alandur, 17. S R Raja - Tambaram, 18. Mrs Sankari Narayanan - Acharapakkam (Res), 19. K Sundar - Uttiramerur, 20. S P Jayaraman - Vandavasi (Res). 21. R Sivanandham - Arani, 22. K Pitchandi - Tiruvannamalai, 23. A V Velu - Tandarampattu, 24. H Abdul Fazith (IUML) - Vaniambadi, 25. Poovai Jagan (Puratchi Bharatham) - Arakonam (Res), 26. R Gandhi - Ranipet, 27. Duraimurugan - Katpadi, 28. A Chinnasami - Peranampattu (Res), 29. N K R Suryakumar - Naatrampalli, 30. M V Vetriselvan - Bargur, 31. D Senguttuvan - Krishnagiri, 32. P N Periannan - Dharmapuri, 33. V Mullaiventhan - Morappur, 34. S Gandhiselvan - Tiruchengode, 35. K Ponnusami - Senthamangalam (Res), 36. K P Ramasamy - Rasipuram, 37. V P Duraisamy - Sankagiri (Res), 38. K Chinnadurai - Thalaivasal (Res), 39. C Tamil Selvan - Yercaud (Res), 40. R Rajendran - Panamarathupatti, 41. A Rajendran - Veerapandi, 42. Veerapandi S Arumugham - Salem - 2, 43. L P Dharmalingam - Sathyamangalam, 44. Mrs Geetha Natarajan - Bhavani Saagar, 45. S Gurusamy- Anthiyur (Res), 46. K Vengidu Manimaran - Gopichettipalayam, 47. N K K P Raja - Erode, 48. M P Saminathan - Vellaikovil, 49. Mrs P Prabhavathi - Dharapuram (Res), 50. S S Ponmudi - Palladam, 51. S Mani - Pongalur, 52. S Velusami - Udumalaipettai, 53. Mrs T Santhi Devi - Pollachi, 54. Negamam K V Kandasami - Kinathukadavu, 55. Mrs N Rukmani - Perur, 56. Pongalur N Palani Sami - Coimbatore (East), 57. P Arunkumar - Mettupalayam, 58.

K Ramachandarn - Koodalur, 59. A Soundara Pandian - Coonoor (Res), 60. Mrs Angayarkanni - Sankarapuram, 61. T Udaya Sooriyan - Chinna Salem, 62. K Thirunavukkarasu - Ulundurpettai (Res).

63. V S Veerapandian - Tirunavalur, 64. K Ponmudi - Villupuram, 65. C Pushparaj - Kandamangalam (Res), 66, V Kannan - Gingee, 67. V Ganesan - Mangalure (Res) 68. M R K Panneer Selvam -Kurinchipadi, 69. K Iyappan - Cuddalore, 70. C Rajendran - Nellikuppam, 71. Ko Si Mani - Kumbakonam, 72. C Senthamizh Selvan - Valangaiman (Res), 73. T Magesh Krishnasami - Tiruvonam, 74. Durai Chandrasekharan - Tiruvaiyaru, 75. P Rajamanickam - Orathanadu, 76. S N M Ubhayadullah - Thanjavur, 77. U Mathivanan - Tiruvarur (Res), 78. S K Vedarathinam - Vedaranyam, 79. K Anbhazhagan - Kutralam, 80. M Panneer Selvam - Sirkazhi (Res), 81. S S Sivasankar - Andimadam, 82. M Rajkumar- Perambalur (Res), 83. M A Kaleelur Rehman (IUML) - Aravakurichi, 84. R Manickam - Kulithalai, 85. P Kamaraj - Krishanrayapuram (Res), 86.Mrs Vasuki Murugesan - Karur 87. K N Nehru - Trichy -2, 88. Anbil Periasami - Trichy - 1, 89. K N Sekaran - Tiruverumbur, 90. A Soundara Pandian - Lalgudi, 91. N Selvaraj - Musiri, 92. Mrs R Rani - Uppiliapuram (Res), 93. Mrs A Rokkaiya Malick (alias) Salma - Mangapuri, 94. Udayam Shunmugham - Aranthangi, 95. C Paranjothi - Kulathoor (Res), 96. M Jafer Ali - Pudukottai, 97. P T R Palanivel Rajan - Madurai (Central). 98. Mrs A Tamilarasi Ravikumar- Samayanallur (Res), 99. P Moorthi - Cholavandhan, 100. P V Kathiravan (AIFB-Vallarasu) - Usilampatti, 101. V Velusami - Tirumangalam, 102. K Thalapathi - Sedapatti, 103. P Selvendran - Cumbam.

104. S Lakshmanan -Bodinayakkanur, 105. P Seeman - Andipatti, 106. L Mookkaiah - Periakulam, 107. M A Andi Ambalam - Natham, 108. E Periasami - Athoor, 109. R Chakrapani - Ottanchatram 110. M Anbazhagan - Palani (Res), 111. V P Rajan - Rajapalayam (Res), 112. V Thangaraj - Sivakasi, 113. K K S S R Ramachandran - Sathur, 114. Thangam Thennarasu - Aruppukottai, 115. R S Raja Kannappan - Ilayankudi, 116. K R Peria Karuppan - Tirupathur, 117. K Murugavel - Mudukulathur, 118. S Thangavelan - Kadalaadi, 119. (to be announced) - Palayam kottai, 120. M Appavoo - Radhapuram, 121. R Aavudaiyappan - Ambasamudram, 122. N Maalai Raja - Thirunelveli, 123. Mrs Poongothai Aladi Aruna - Alangulam, 124. V Karuppa Sami Pandian - Thenkasi, 125. C Thangavelu - Sankaran Koil (Res). 126.

Mrs P Geetha Jeevan - Thoothukudi, 127. A D K Jayaseelan - Tiruchenthur, 128. S X Rajamannar - Ottapitaram (Res), 129. C Raja Ram - Vilathikulam, 130. T Thiyothar Rejinald - Padmanabhapuram, 131. A Rajan - Nagerkoil, 132. N Suresh Rajan - Kanniyakumari.

UNI