The AIADMK-led alliance on Sunday released the list of Lok Sabha constituencies that various parties in the alliance will contest from. The State goes to polls on April 18.
While the AIAMDK will contest in 20 constituencies, the PMK will contest in seven, the BJP in five and the DMDK in four. The Tamil Maanila Congress, Puthia Tamizagam, Puthia Needhi Katchi and NR Congress, which are part of the AIADMK alliance, will contest in one seat each.
Going by the list, only eight constituencies will see a direct fight between the AIADMK and its arch rival DMK.
AIADMK coordinator O Paneersevelvam released the constituency list in the presence of Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami and BJP State President Tamilisai Soundararajan.
The AIADMK will contest in: Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Erode, Karur, Tiruppur, Pollachi, Arni, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram (Reserved), Perambalur, Theni, Madurai, the Nilgiris, Tirunelveli, Nagapattinam, Myladuthurai, Tiruvallur, Kanchiupuram and Chennai (South). The PMK will contest in Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Arakonam, Cuddalore, Chennai (Central), Dindigul and Sriperumpudur.
The BJP will contest in Kanyakumari, Sivagangai, Coimbatore, Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi.
The DMDK has been allotted Kallakuruchi, Tiruchirapalli, Chennai (North) and Virudunagar.
The Tamil Maanila Congress will fight in Thanjavur; Puthiaa Tamizagam in Tenkasi; Puthia Needhi Katchi in Vellore; and the NR Congress in the lone Puducherry constituency.
Speaking to newspersons, Paneerselvam said the party is holding an interview for the 18 Assembly constituencies, and that the list of candidates will be released after that.
Dhinakaran’s list
Meanwhile, TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam announced the first list of candidates for 24 Lok Sabha seats, and for nine Assembly seats.
The party’s prominent contestants include Sarubala Thondaiman from Tiruchirapalli and David Annadurai from Madurai.
P Vetrivel will contest from the Perumbavoor Assembly seat, says a party statement.