Constituencies vanish ironically

Madurai, May 19 (UNI) It might be unintentional and plain coincidence but five constituencies, enjoying the honour of having sent Speakers to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, have no place in the draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission.

The constituencies - Sedapatti (R Muthiah), Ilayankudi (Dr M Thamizh Kudimagan), Theni (P T R Palanivel Rajan),Panamarathupatti (K Rajaram) and Cheranmadevi (P H Pandian) have been dissoved and merged with surrounding constituencies Except the late DMK stalwart P T R Palanivel Rajan and Thamizh Kudimagan, others were from the AIADMK.

While Dr Thamizh Kudimagan switched over to the AIADMK at the fag end of his career, Mr Rajaram had left the AIADMK.

District headquarters Theni, retained as a Lok Sabha constituency instead of existing Periyakulam, has been deprived of being an Assembly segment. All the other constituencies have been divided and merged with the neighbouring ones, leading to protests from all the areas.

Those who deposed before the commission demanded retention of all these constituencies.

UNI