TN assembly polls: Former Rajini fan club functionary features in list of TVK candidates

Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay interviewed and finalised 50 candidates for the party on Friday. The list includes S Ashok, a former Rajinikanth fan club functionary, a move that has come as a surprise, in the backdrop of a heated online battle between TVK and Rajinikanth's camp.Ashok is likely to be fielded from Harbour constituency in Chennai, where HR&CE minister P K Sekarbabu is the sitting MLA.Other Chennai candidates include JCD Prabhakar from Thousand Lights, where he is expected to take on DMK MLA Ezhilan. In Maduravoyal, TVK is set to field Revanth Saran, owner of Rohini Theatre, marking the party's attempt to bring in local influencers.TVK sources said Vijay told candidates that the party was not entering the fray to split votes or merely increase vote share, but to form the govt, urging them to work towards a collective victory.In a related development, TVK general secretary N Anand has instructed district secretaries to submit final shortlisted names for the remaining constituencies. At the same time, leaders in south Tamil Nadu have been asked to prepare for Vijay's upcoming campaign rallies. Meanwhile, Vijay has left for Mumbai amid a tight election schedule to attend a family function of a film director.