Chennai: In a significant development ahead of the Vikravandi assembly by-poll, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) announced on Saturday that C Anbumani will be its candidate for the election.
This announcement came a day after the state unit of the BJP declared that PMK would contest the by-poll under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) umbrella.
The PMK, which becomes the third major party to reveal its candidate following the ruling DMK, is setting the stage for a competitive election. PMK founder Dr. S Ramadoss confirmed Anbumani’s candidacy in an official statement. Anbumani, following the announcement, visited Ramadoss at his residence in Thailapuram, Villupuram district, where he received congratulations and best wishes for the upcoming poll scheduled for July 10.
Anbumani is no stranger to the Vikravandi constituency, having previously contested there in the 2016 assembly elections. In that race, he garnered 41,428 votes, securing third place. Despite the DMK’s victory and AIADMK’s runner-up position, PMK managed a commendable 23.2% vote share, bolstered by the substantial presence of the Vanniyar community in the region. Notably, PMK ran independently in 2016 with Anbumani Ramadoss as its chief ministerial candidate.
With PMK’s candidate now named, attention turns to the principal opposition party, AIADMK, which has yet to announce its contender. Meanwhile, DMK and NTK have already fielded their candidates: Anniyur Siva and Abhinaya, respectively.
As the by-poll approaches, the political atmosphere in Vikravandi is heating up, promising an engaging contest that could have broader implications for the state’s political landscape.