Congress to support DMK in bypolls

CHENNAI: TNCC president S. Thirunavukkaraar on Thursday announced Congress support for DMK in the three constituencies, Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thirupparankundram, after a meeting of office-bearers at the state headquarters here. He said the Congress leaders would also campaign for the DMK nominees in the three constituencies. Denying differences in the DMK-Congress ties, he said all the leaders within the Congress are functioning unitedly.

The decision follows the TNCC chief’s meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. Former TNCC leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan too had met Rahul and appealed to him to support the DMK in bypolls.  The Congress also needs the DMK support for electing Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy from Nellithoppu constituency. When Congress contested alone in the 2014 Parliament elections, it got 3.83 per cent votes in Thirupparankundram. In Thanjavur, the national party had polled 3.39 per cent votes, while it secured 2.42 per cent votes in Aravakurichi.

The Congress leader’s announcement puts an end to the possibility of the Congress breaking away from the DMK before the Assembly bypolls. However, the Congress leaders are determined to make a tough bargain in the local body seat negotiations and unlikely to accept the allocation given during talks in October. The Indian Union Muslim League too declared its support for the DMK in the bypolls for three seats.

At the DMK headquarters here, party leader M. Karunanidhi, general secretary K. Anbazhagan, DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin, principal secretary K. Duraimurugan, Rajya Sabha MPs Kanimozhi and T.K.S. Elangovan discussed bypoll strategy and selection of candidates for the three seats. K.C. Palanisamy, who was nominated from Aravakurichi during the Assembly elections, had sought a chance again after the AIADMK fielded former minister Senthil Balaji.

The chances for both Palanisamy and Anjugam, fielded by the DMK,  earlier had gone up after the AIADMK re-nominated the same constituencies. The party has received the applications from aspiring ticket seekers and the interview for selection of candidates would be held on Friday. For Thirupparankundram, Saravanan, who defected from the MDMK, besides functionaries Bose Muthaiah and Easwaran had sought ticket. For Thanjavur, Jayaprakash, who crossed over to the DMK from DMDK, besides youth wing functionary Ramanathan and others had submitted their applications.