PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss released the party’s first list of candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Friday, March 22, 2024. File photograph
| Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday, March 22, 2024, released the party’s first list of nine candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The PMK was allotted 10 Lok Sabha seats as part of its alliance with the BJP.
Interestingly Anbumani Ramadoss, currently a Rajya Sabha member and his wife Sowmiya Anbumani do not figure on the list. PMK’s spokesperson K. Balu will contest in Arakkonam and take on DMK’s S. Jagathrakshakan and AIADMK’s A.L. Vijayan.
PMK Treasurer M. Thilagabama will contest in Dindigul. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), a constituent of the DMK-led alliance, has fielded R. Sachithanandam in Dindigul, while AIADMK has allocated the seat to the SDPI.
Film director Thangar Bachan will contest from Cuddalore, while R. Arasangam will contest from Dharmapuri. Mr. Arasangam is the party’s district secretary of Dharmapuri East. The DMK has allocated the Cuddalore seat to the Congress, while DMDK will contest in Cuddalore as a part of the AIADMK alliance. The DMK has filed A. Mani from Dharmapuri, while AIADMK has announced R. Asokan as its candidate.
The PMK’s list has former MLA Ganesh Kumar contesting from Arani and Maka Stalin from Mayiladuthurai. The DMK has fielded M.S. Dharanivendhan from Arani, while the AIADMK has fielded G.V. Gajendran.
Former Congress MP R. Devadass, who joined the PMK in 2022 and is currently its vice president, will contest from Kallakurichi. The DMK has announced Malaiyarasan as the candidate for Kallakurichi, while the AIADMK has fielded R. Kumaraguru.
The PMK has announced N. Annadurai will contest from Salem, while Murali Sankar, State Secretary from PMK’s student wing will contest from Villupuram.
Meanwhile, the DMK has fielded T. M. Selvaganapathy in Salem, while P. Vignesh is the AIADMK candidate. As part of the DMK alliance VCK general secretary D. Ravikumar will contest in Villupuram, while J. Bakkiyaraj is the AIADMK’s candidate.
The PMK is yet to announce its candidate for Kancheepuram, a reserved constituency. The DMK has announced K. Selvam as its candidate, while the AIADMK has fielded E. Rajasekar.