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All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate P Karuppaiah from the Tiruchirappalli Lok Sabha constituency began his campaign for the upcoming general elections on Wednesday morning by offering prayers at Sri Sedal Mariamman Temple here.
Former minister Vijayabaskar lent his support to the 39-year-old Karuppaiah and was seen among the campaigners. A large number of the party's supporters participated in Karuppaiah's campaign. The AIADMK, recently released its list of candidates for the upcoming elections by fielding several newcomers. Apart from Karuppaiah other debutants include N D Chandramohan from Perambalur and district secretary P Babu, son of ex-MLA Pounraj who has been fielded from Mayiladuthurai. A native of Kuzhanthiranpattu in Karambakudi taluk, Karuppaiah is AIADMK party's district youth wing secretary of Pudukottai north. Two assembly constituencies in Pudukottai district, Gandharvakottai and Pudukottai, come under Trichy Lok Sabha constituency apart from Srirangam, Trichy West, Trichy East and Thiruverumbur. In 2019, AIADMK had fielded DMDK candidate Dr V Elangovan from Trichy. He lost to Congress's Su Thirunavukkarasar of the DMK alliance. The BJP is yet to announce its candidate for Trichy. Other names in the AIADMK list include three-time MLA R Kumaraguru from Kallakurichi, the party's IT wing president and an IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus, Singai G Ramachandran, from Coimbatore, and Muthuchozhan from Tirunelveli. There is only woman candidate in the AIADMK list, Shimla Muthuchozhan. The daughter-in-law of former DMK minister S P Sarguna, who recently defected from the DMK, had in 2016 contested against the late AIADMK chief and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The party is vying for 32 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state, setting aside 7 seats for allies DMDK, Social Democratic Party of India and Puthiya Tamilagam. Elections to 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held on April 19. Tamil Nadu ranks fifth in terms of Lok Sabha seats, with 39 seats, including 32 unreserved seats and seven reserved for SC candidates. In the 2019 elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance secured an overwhelming victory, winning 38 out of 39 seats. In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with a 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with a 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won two seats in Tamil Nadu. (ANI)
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