2019 Lok Sabha elections: AIADMK to contest in 20 seats, BJP in five

Chennai, Mar 17: The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Sunday released the list of constituencies to be contested by it and allies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019 in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The AIADMK will field its nominees in 20 constituencies excluding Vellore, where the New Justice Party (NJP) will contest on the ruling party's symbol of 'two leaves.'

According to the list, the AIADMK will contest from Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Erode, Karur, Tiruppur, Pollachi, Arani, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram, Perambalur, Theni, Madurai, Nilgiris, Tirunelveli, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chennai South.

The BJP will fight on five seats - Kanyakumari, Sivagangai, Coimbatore, Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which has returned to the AIADMK fold after 10 years, will field its candidates in seven constituencies: Sriperumpudur, Dharmapuri, Central Chennai, Cuddalore, Arakkonam, Villupuram and Dindigul.

The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which aligned with the AIADMK after a gap of eight years, will contest in four constituencies: North Chennai, Kallakurichi, Tiruchi and Virudhunagar.

The Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), the Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT) and the All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) will field its nominees in Thanjavur, Tenkasi and Puducherry respectively.

The details were provided by AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam in the presence of party coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, BJP leaders Tamilisai Soundarajan and H. Raja, and New Justice Party's (NJP's) chief A.C. Shanmugam.

Tamil Nadu will go to polls in the second phase on April 18. By-elections to 34 Assembly seats in 12 states, including 18 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, which could decide the fortunes of the ruling AIADMK, will be held simultaneously.