Congress list of 41 constituencies released

Chennai: The DMK and Congress reached an understanding on April 8 on the 41 constituencies to be contested by the Congress in Tamil Nadu. No seats were allotted in Theni, Dharmapuri, Villupuram and Perambalur districts. The Congress would have to contest against the AIADMK in 40 of the 41 constituencies.

The constituencies had been identified in 28 districts.

The party will contest the five constituencies where the party was victorious in 2011 (two of these MLAs are now with the TMC).

TNCC president E V K S Elangovan said the party was happy with the allocation of seats.

In Chennai, Congress has been allotted the four constituencies of Mylapore, Royapuram, Ambattur and Maduravoyal. .

Former TNCC president M. Krishnaswamy’s son M.K. Vishnu Prasad is likely to contest in Cheyyar, which he represented during 2006-11.
AICC secretary Su. Thirunavukkarasar’s son Ramachandran may contest in Aranthangi, veteran K.R. Ramasamy Ambalam’s son Karia Manickam in Karaikudi. However, Congress could not get the Sivaganga seat which was sought by Jayasimha, son of former Union Minister Sudarsana Natchiappan.

Congress sources said the DMK denied key constituencies like Tambaram, Madurai Central,  Tirupur South and Kanyakumari.
The allocation of seats could set off a fresh war in the party with various factions jockeying for specific constituencies. Youth congress leader S. Jothimani expressed her criticism over the denial of Aravakurichi seat to her, and reiterated her decision to contest from there.

The following constituencies were allotted to the Congress:

Tiruttani, Ambattur, Royapuram, Mylapore, Sriperumbudur (SC), Maduravoyal, Arcot, Hosur, Kalasapakkam, Cheyyar, Athur (SC), Sankagiri, Namakkal, Gobichettipalayam, Udhagamandalam, Kangeyam, Dharapuram (SC), Sulur, Coimbatore (South), Vedasandur, Karur, Tiruchy (East), Musuri, Jeyamkondan, Kattumannarkoil (SC), Vedaranyam, Nannilam, Papanasam, Pattukotai, Aranthangi, Karaikudi, Madurai (North), Tirumangalam, Sivakasi, Muthukulathur, Thiruvaikundam, Tenkasi, Nanguneri, Colachel, Vilavangode and Killiyur.