DMK chief MK Stalin filed his nomination papers on Monday for the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. He will contest from Kolathur Assembly constituency in Chennai for the third time. Stalin is also the sitting MLA of Kolathur, where he won the 2016 and 2011 Assembly elections. Kolathur constituency had its first Assembly elections in 2011. He also held a road show amid a sea of DMK supporters waving the party flag after he filed his nomination papers.
Stalin filed his papers in Ayanavaram to contest from Kolathur. He was accompanied by PK Sekar Babu, who is the MLA from Harbour constituency and a DMK Senior leader.
The Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase on April 6. Several prominent leaders including ministers are expected to file their nomination papers on Monday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and BJP National Women’s Wing President Vanathi Srinivasan are likely to file their nomination papers to contest from Edappadi and Coimbatore South respectively on Monday.
#WATCH | DMK president MK Stalin holds a roadshow in Kolathur after filing nomination for #TamilNaduElections2021 pic.twitter.com/nWS2rB4tjA
— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2021
The DMK is seeking to defeat AIADMK, whose second consecutive term is in progress, in the upcoming elections. While the DMK has allied with Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Vaiko’s MDMK and Thol Thirumavalavan’s VCK, the AIADMK has joined hands with the BJP, Pattali Makkal Katchi and Tamil Maanila Congress. A third front led by the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and an alliance led by TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) in partnership with Vijayakant’s DMDK will also be contesting the polls.
The last date to file nomination papers is March 19 and the last date for candidates to withdraw their nominations is March 22. The results of the election will be declared on May 2. Most major leaders across the political spectrum in Tamil Nadu are on the campaign trail and the DMK and the AIADMK have both released their election manifestos.