Following the finalization of a seat-sharing agreement with the BJP, the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK) revealed its candidates for the upcoming seven-phased 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Sunday.AMMK’s general secretary TTV Dhinakaran disclosed the names of the party’s Lok Sabha contenders.
Under the agreement with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), AMMK will vie for two seats in the DMK-governed southern state.
TTV Dhinakaran himself will run for the Theni Lok Sabha constituency, while Senthilnathan will represent the NDA from Trichy.
“AMMK will contest two seats in Tamil Nadu as a partner in the NDA. I would contest Theni while Senthilnathan would file his nomination papers from Trichy” stated Dhinakaran to reporters on Sunday.
“Now it’s up to the people to decide the victor in Theni. Theni is where I earned the title ‘Makkal Selvan’ (people’s hero). I have previously served in this constituency, and the locals here are familiar with me,” he added.
“My close friend O Pannerselvam’s son, OP Ravindhranath, currently holds the MP position in Theni. When I visited last month, both the sitting MP and his father urged me to contest from this constituency. The people also expressed their desire for me to run in the Lok Sabha elections from Theni. I consulted with Pannerselvam and other leaders in the coalition. Eventually, OPS decided to vacate the seat for me and contest Ramanathapuram instead. Both he and I are confident of winning,” Dhinakaran affirmed.
In addition to AMMK, the NDA has also formed a seat-sharing agreement with the Ambumani Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Voting for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu is scheduled for the first phase of the general elections on April 19.
In the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance secured a resounding victory, winning 38 out of the 39 seats in the state.
DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress and the CPI secured 8 and 2 seats respectively in the 2019 elections.
