Udhayanidhi Stalin seeks to contest Assembly polls from Chepauk-Triplicane seat

DMK chief MK Stalin's son and party youth secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin has finally put an end to speculation over whether he will contest in the upcoming Assembly elections. Udhayanidhi on Thursday submitted an application to the party, seeking a ticket to contest from Chepauk-Triplicane — DMK's dependable constituency.

Late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi had been elected as MLA three times from this constituency and until recently, it was represented by DMK MLA J Anbazhagan, who died of COVID-19 related complications.

Karunanidhi had won from the constituency in the 1996, 2001 and 2006 elections and the constituency has always elected only DMK candidates in Assembly polls. The only exception was in the 1991 election, which was held immediately after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Udhayanidhi was accompanied by supporters, as per reports, and stated that party functionaries of the youth wing sought tickets for him at the Chepauk constituency. On being compared with his grandfather who had immense popularity, he said that people will have to take an individual based on who they are and said that he was gradually growing in the political sphere. He claimed that he applied for a ticket and it was up to his party chief and senior leaders to now take a call on that matter.

Udhayanidhi further told the media at the venue that his campaign across the state received a huge response and that people of the state were waiting for the government to change.

Meanwhile, the DMK has begun seat-sharing talks with the Congress on Thursday at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam. According to multiple reports, the Congress sought 50 seats to begin with Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala, former Kerala CM Oomen Chandy, Congress' Tamil Nadu in Charge Dinesh Gundu Rao and Tamil Nadu president KS Alagiri present for the negotiations.