DMK announces candidate for assembly bypoll

Chennai, Sep 19: The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) today announced that Madurai Deputy Mayor S Ghouse Basha will be the candidate for the October 11 by-election to Madurai Central assembly constituency.

A day after the opposition AIADMK candidate V V Rajan Chellappa filed his papers, DMK President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, in a statement here, said that Mr Basha, who had the support of the allies would contest in the bypoll.

Mr Basha, who is serving as the Deputy Mayor of the Madurai Corporation, is also the District Deputy organisor in the DMK Volunteers wing.

The announcement of the candidature comes a day prior to a meeting of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) convened by the DMK to discuss about the bypoll and the ensuing local body elections in the state.

The announcement also put at rest speculations that the party might field one of the family members of late P T R Palanivel Rajan, who held the seat. The former Speaker's death, soon after being inducted into the cabinet as Hindu Religious and Endowment Minister necessitated the by-election.

It would be a straight fight between the DMK and the AIADMK, though the Vijayakanth led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) is set to enter the field. The actor-politician had already announced that the party would go it alone in the bypoll.

UNI