Chennai: The party offices of the ruling AIADMK, main opposition DMK and Kamal Haasan’s fledgling MNM were buzzing with action today as part of the Lok Sabha poll preparations.
While the AIADMK and MNM today held interviews for the candidates who have applied to contest in the Lok Sabha seats, DMK president M K Stalin held a meeting with his party MLAs, MPs and district secretaries.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam who are also the joint coordinator and coordinator of AIADMK, respectively, constituted the panel that interviewed the candidates.
It is said candidates from 20 constituencies were interviewed today and those from the remaining 19 constituencies will be interviewed Tuesday.
Similarly, candidates who applied to contest from MNM seats were interviewed by party president Kamal Haasan at the Makkal Needhi Maiam headquarters in Alwarpet (video).
Stalin today said the list of constituencies allotted to the alliance parties will be announced tonight or by tomorrow morning.
He made the statement after holding a meeting with the party’s MPs and MLAs at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, this morning.
He further said the DMK legislators are planning to approach the Election Commission asking it to conduct by-polls in the Ottapidaram, Aravakuruchi and Thiruparankundram constituencies as well,
The EC said it will not conduct bypolls in these constituencies along with the LS polls as there are pending legal disputes.
“There is no rule that election should not be conducted when there is an ongoing case. There is some hidden motive behind this,” Stalin said.
The meeting, that also included district secretaries, is said to have been held to fine-tune the party’s strategy for the polls.
Deliberations on by-polls to the 18 Assembly constituencies and the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for 18 April, is said to be the agenda for the meeting.
Coming after Stalin’s State-wide tour covering gram panchayats and a recent public rally at Virudhunagar, the members discussed the party’s propaganda drive to reach out to the electorate.
AIADMK today said those who are willing to contest in the Assembly by-polls can send in their application till 13 March evening.
A party press release said the application should be given along the fee of Rs 25,000. “Since applications have been already received for Tiruvarur constituency, cadres can apply for the remaining 17 constituencies,” the release added.