The AIADMK has announced its candidate for the RK Nagar bye-polls, even as speculation over infighting in the party grows. E Madhusudhanan, the presidum chairman and a former member of the O Panneerselvam faction will be representing the party in this crucial election.
Madhusudhanan was the candidate for the OPS faction in the RK Nagar bye-polls in April, which were later cancelled following allegations of malpractices.
A meeting held on Tuesday to zero in on a candidate yielded no result and discussion have been underway for this last week over who will contest in the poll. According to reports, over 20 members had filed their applications seeking party tickets on Tuesday. The favourites in the race were however, Madhusudhanan and N Balaganga, former MP and a senior leader of the party.
The former, however, was finally chosen by the party for December 21 poll. Some prominent leaders contesting against Madhusudhanan, will include TTV Dhinakaran from AIADMK (Amma) party, Marudhu Ganesh from the DMK and Deepa Jayakumar from the AIADMK MGR Amma Deepa Peravai. The RK Nagar constituency, will once again see a battle of high intensity, considering that it was last held by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Madhusudhanan, an MGR loyalist, is a recognised face in the North Chennai constituency, having been elected as an MLA in RK Nagar in 1991. He is a veteran leader of the AIADMK and served as Textile Minister during Jayalalithaa’s first term as Chief Minister between 1991 and 1996. He had been convicted in the free dhoti scam in 1991, but was later acquitted.
Security has meanwhile been beefed up at RK Nagar with the deployment of more than 1,000 police personnel.
Eleven checkpoints have been erected with the drop gate facility to monitor vehicles. The city police are reportedly installing more than 100 CCTV cameras in the area, which the police can monitor on their mobile phones.