New Delhi:
The Congress has released a list of 30 candidates for elections to the Lok Sabha from Tamil Nadu. Prominent among them are the six sitting MPs, and Union Finance minister P Chidambaram's son, Karti Chidambaram, besides former Union ministers Mani Shankar Aiyar, Su Thirunavukkarasar and E V K S Elangovan.
Following is the list of candidates:
K S Alagiri - Cuddalore
J M Aaroon Rashid -- Theni
P Viswanathan - Kanchipuram (R)
N S V Chithan - Dindigul
S S Ramasubbu - Tirunelveli
Manicka Tagore - Virudhunagar
Karti Chidambaram -- Sivaganga
Mani Shankar Aiyar -- Myladuthurai
Su Thirunavukkarassar - Ramanathapuram,
E V K S Elangovan - Tiruppur,
Mohan Kumaramangalam -- Salem
R Prabhu -- Coimbatore
M K Vishnu Prasad - Arani
Naasey Rajesh -- Arakonam
J Vijay Ilanchezhian - Vellore
C D Meiyappan -- Central Chennai
T Krishnaswamy Vandaiyar -- Thanjavur
A P C V Shanmugam --Tuticorin
Charubala Thondaman - Tiruchi
Arul Anbarasu - Sriperumbudur
A Subramaniam - Tiruvannamalai
R Devadas -- Kallakurichi
G R Subramaniam - Namakkal
P Gopi -- Erode
P Gandhi - Nilgiris (R)
M Rajasekaran - Perambalur
T A P Senthilpandian - Nagapattinam (R)
T N Bharath Nachiyappan - Madurai
Dr K Jayakumar -- Tenkasi (R)
P Vallalperuman - Chidambaram (R)
The party has re-nominated six sitting MPs from their respective constituencies -- K S Alagiri (Cuddalore), J M Aaroon Rashid (Theni), P Viswanathan (Kanchipuram-Reserved), N S V Chitthan (Dindigul), S S Ramasubbu (Tirunelveli) and Manicka Tagore (Virudhunagar).
Many youngsters have been given an opportunity to contest the elections. This includes sons of party heavyweights as well.
With P Chidambaram opting out of a contest, his son Karti Chidambaram has bagged the ticket for the same constituency (Sivaganga).
In Arani, former TNCC president M Krishnaswamy's son M K Vishnu Prasad, a former MLA, is the party candidate.
Former union minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam's son Mohan gets the ticket for Salem, Naasey Rajesh (son of Naesey
Ramachandran) for Arakkonam and J. Vijay Ilanchezhian for Vellore, A P C V Shanmugam (Tuticorin).
The party has fielded C D Meiyappan for Central Chennai and Krishnaswamy Vandayaar for Thanjavur.
The first list figured only one woman candidate, Charubala Thondaman, who will re-contest from Tiruchi, of which city she was a Mayor.
Former MP, P Vallalperumal (Chidambaram), has also been given a ticket.
