New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) The BJP on Sunday released a list of 17 candidates for the April 6 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, including names of actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar from Thousand Lights and its state unit chief L. Murugan from Dharampur (SC) seats.
BJP General Secretary Arun Singh said: “The Central Election Committee of the BJP met under the chairmanship of party chief J.P. Nadda, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and other members present, and decided 17 names for the ensuing Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.”
Union Minister for State for Home and poll in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Kishan Reddy said that as per the alliance agreement, the AIADMK is contesting 178 of the state’s 234 seats, the PMK is contesting 23 and the BJP is contesting 20.
“G.K. Vasan’s Tamil Maanila Congress will be contesting on six seats and other smaller parties are contesting on remaining seven seats,” he said.
Among other members, BJP Mahila Morcha President Vanathi Srinivasan has been fielded from Coimbatore South, former IPS officer K. Annamalai from Aravakurichi and former MLA and party national Secretary H. Raja from Karaikudi.
Apart from Sundar, and Srinivasan, the BJP list comprises one more woman – Dr. C.K. Saraswathi from Modakkurichi.
Other candidates are Vinoj P. Selvam (Harbour), S. Thanigaivel (Tiruvannamalai), Kalivarathan (Tirukkoyilur), D. Periyasamy (Tittakudi (SC)), Poondi S. Venkatesan (Thiruvaiyaru), Dr. P. Saravanan (Madurai North), G. Pandurangan (Virudhunagar), D. Kuppuram (Ramanathapuram), Nainar Nagendran (Tirunelveli), M.R. Gandhi (Nagercoil), and P. Ramesh (Colachel).
A senior party leader said that candidates for remaining three seats will be announced soon.
Reddy also said that in two years since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the political situation has completely changed in the state.
“There is wave in favour of the NDA under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. DMK is symbol of corruption, rowdiness and dynasty politics and with this election the third general is their family making debut in electoral politics,” he said.
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