In another release, she said former Minister and AIADMK's Parliamentary Party leader M Thambidurai will be the the party's election committee chairman for Pennagaram bypoll.

She urged party activists and members of various wings of the AIADMK to cooperate with Thambidurai and ensure that Anbazhagan tasted victory in the byelection.

The 44-year-old Anbazhagan is a local heavyweight and is the Dharmapuri district secretary of the AIADMK. He had unsuccessfully contested against PMK’s G K Mani in the 1996 Assembly elections.

This time he is taking on the DMK’s P N P Inbasekaran, son of DMK legislator P N Periannan, whose death has necessitated the byelection. PMK has already announced Thamizhkumaran, son of party president G K Mani as its candidate and Vijayakanth’s DMDK is yet to announce its nominee.

The Election Commission Friday last announced that the byelection to the Pennagaram Assembly constituency will be held on 27 March. The model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect, it said. The poll notification will be issued on 3 March. The last date for filing nominations is 10 March and the papers will be scrutinised the next day. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is 13 March. The counting of votes will be held on March 30 and the poll process will end on 2 April. The poll was originally scheduled for 20 January.

It was however deferred thanks to protests from the Opposition parties (AIADMK, MDMK, PMK, CPI and CPI-M) due to various reasons including Pongal festivities.