Chennai sources stated that the AIADMK had announced its nominees for the October 21 Assembly by-polls to two seats in Tamilnadu, which could well be a battle of pride for the ruling party. Meanwhile AIADMK Coordinator O Pannneerselvam and Joint Coordinator K Palaniswami announced the candidature of M R Muthamilselvan and V Narayanan for Vikravandi and Nanguneri constituencies, respectively.
Furthermore the top AIADMK leaders also announced the appointment of functionaries from its other district units for the two constituencies as in-charge and they said in a statement that a number of senior party functionaries including ministers will be joining the poll related work in the respective constituencies. Reportedly the bypoll comes close on the heels of the April 18 Lok Sabha elections which the DMK and its allies swept, winning 37 of the 38 seats in the hustings then.
Earlier the AIADMK could only win the lone Theni Lok Sabha seat in the April 18 parliamentary polls. Even though DMK won 13 of the 22 seats, Palaniswami could continue in power as the nine seats the AIADMK netted added to the ruling party's then tally of 114, taking it well beyond the simple majority mark of 117.
