DMK renominates 18, denies seat to 8 MLAs in central TN

Trichy: DMK will contest in 30 out of 41 constituencies in central Tamil Nadu in the upcoming assembly election. The party has renominated candidates in 18 of these seats, while denying tickets to at least eight sitting MLAs.Municipal administration minister K N Nehru will contest for the seventh time and for the fourth consecutive term from Trichy West while school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi is to contest for the third time, again from Thiruverumbur constituency.MLAs Inigo Irudayaraj has been fielded again from Trichy East, and and S Kathiravan from Mannachanallur. The party has opted for fresh faces in some constituencies replacing sitting MLAs. S Durairaj, Tha. Parivallal, and N S Karunairaja have been given tickets in Srirangam, Lalgudi, and Musiri in place of M Palaniyandi, A Soundarapandian, and N Thiyagarajan, respectively. The new candidates are around 50 years old, and graduates and senior DMK functionaries.In Thanjavur district, higher education minister Govi Chezhian is contesting for the fourth time from Thiruvidaimaruthur (SC). Meanwhile, former AIADMK minister R Vaithilingam, who won from Orathanadu in 2021 on an AIADMK ticket, has been fielded by DMK in the same constituency.Other re-contesting candidates in Thanjavur are MLAs ‘Sakkottai' G Anbazhagan from Kumbakonam, Durai Chandrasekaran from Thiruvaiyaru, K Annadurai from Pattukkottai, and N Ashok Kumar from Peravurani. Corporation mayor Sun Ramanathan has replaced T K G Neelamegamgiven in Thanjavur .In Tiruvarur district, industries minister T R B Rajaa is seeking a fourth consecutive term from Mannargudi, while MLA Poondi K. Kalaivanan is re-contesting from Tiruvarur. In Mayiladuthurai district, MLA ‘Nivetha' M Murugan is re-contesting from Poompuhar. In Nagapattinam district, fresher M M Pugazhendhi has been fielded from Vedaranyam.In Karur district, Asi M Thiagarajan will contest from Karur. MLA ‘Monjanur' R Elango is re-contesting from Aravakurichi. S K Raja and Suriyanur A Chandiran have been given tickets in Krishnarayapuram (SC) and Kulithalai, replacing sitting MLAs K Sivagama Sundari and R Manickam, respectively.In Perambalur district, transport minister S S Sivasankar is re-contesting from Kunnam and will be entering the fray for the fifth time overall. S D Jayalakshmi has been fielded from Perambalur (SC) in place of sitting MLA M Prabhakaran. In Ariyalur district, MLA Ka So Ka Kannan is re-contesting from Jayankondam, while Latha Babu will contest from Ariyalur, replacing sitting MLA K. Chinnappa.