Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa will seek re-election from R.K. Nagar constituency in the May 16 Assembly elections. The AIADMK general secretary on Monday announced her candidates for all 234 Assembly seats on the 'two leaves' symbol, a bold move which even party's founder M G Ramachandran did not attempt. This also means that she has shut the door on Tamil Maanila Congress, for now.
While Ms Jayalalithaa announced candidates from AIADMK for 227 seats, she allotted seven seats to junior alliance partners like actor-politician R. Sarath Kumar, actor S. Karunaas of Mukkulathor Puli Padai, Dalit leader C.K. Tamilarasan and Manithaneya Jananaayaga Katchi general secretary M. Thamimun Ansari, who will also contest on "two leaves" symbol.
Ms Jayalalithaa re-nominated herself from R K Nagar constituency, from where she returned to the Assembly after the Karnataka high court acquitted her in the assets case last year. Finance minister O Pannerselvam has been fielded again from Bodinayakkanur, his pocket borough in Theni district, ending suspense triggered by reports that he was under a cloud.
