Tamil Nadu polls: DMK president Karunanidhi to contest from native Tiruvarur

Chennai: DMK president M Karunanidhi will contest from his native Tiruvarur constituency for the 16 May Assembly polls, seeking a successive term from the rural seat. The 92-year-old veteran will also launch his election campaign from Saidapet on 23 April, according to his campaign schedule released by the party on Tuesday.

Though the party is yet to release the list of its candidates for the 176 seats it is contesting, Karunanidhi’s choice of seat has been mentioned in his tour itinerary. He will file his nomination at Tiruvarur on 25 April and also address a public meeting the same day. A five-time chief minister, Karunanidhi represents Tiruvarur in the outgoing 14th Assembly, dominated by arch rival AIADMK, which he chose in 2011 after contesting in constituencies from the state capital here for a long time. In his three-phase election tour, Karunanidhi will campaign across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and address rallies in various districts including Chennai, Erode, Vellore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Krishnagiri and Kancheepuram. The DMK President will wind up his tour in Tiruvarur, the party release said. Octogenarian Karunanidhi is leading his party in one of the toughest electoral battles, with a multi-cornered contest involving ruling AIADMK and PWF-DMDK-TMC combine threatening to give DMK a run for its money. DMK has managed to stitch an alliance with Congress and two Muslim parties besides smaller outfits as its seeks to dethrone AIADMK and capture power. The party had drawn a blank in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, where it was virtually led by its Treasurer and Karunanidhi’s son, M K Stalin.