PMK announces list of candidates, 7 sitting members renominated

Chennai, Mar 30 (UNI) The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today renominated seven of the 19 sitting MLAs, while announcing the list of candidates for the May 8 assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.

PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss released the list of 29 candidates of the 31 seats allotted to it by the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance at a crowded press conference tonight.

The candidates for the remaining two seats -- Pennagaram and Anaicut -- would be announced in the next one or two days.

Among those who were renominated were Party President G K Mani (Mettur), J Guru (Jayamkondam), Dr R Govindasamy (Vridhachalam), K Arumugam (Chengalpattu), K Raviraj (Tiruttani), D Velmurugan (Panruti) and T K Raja from Tirupattur in Vellore district.

Mr Mani, who was elected from Pennagaram last year, will contest from Mettur this time.

Asked about the change in constituency, Dr Ramadoss, brushed aside the matter, saing while Mettur was his home town where his family lives, Pennagaram was a place where he was brought up.

Dr Ramadoss said he would kick off the party's campaign at the April 2 General Council meeting to be held at Thailapuram, during which all the candidates would be introduced to the council members.

''The party's campaign will start there itself,'' he added.

Asked about Pondicherry, he said the seat sharing talks were yet to begin and the process would be completed soon.

When pointed out the party had not given any representation to women in the ensuing polls, he said only the passage of the women's bill, providing 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State legislatures, would change the mindset of the menfolk. ''The PMK is not an exception to it,'' he said.

To a question, Dr Ramadoss reiterated that his party would provide outside support to the DMK-led DPA in the event of a hung assembly.

''We will not participate in the government if there was a hung assembly,'' he said, exuding confidence of DPA sweeping the polls in all the 234 seats.

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