DMK drops 3 MPs, fields Maran's son

Dayanidhi Maran, son of former Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran, would contest the Chennai central constituency held by his late father, the DMK announced yesterday.

The party dropped three of its sitting MPs - Adishankar (Cuddalore), Vetriselvan (Krishnagiri) and Jayaseelan (Tiruchendur) - but retained the seven other MPs who represented the DMK in the last Lok Sabha.

The three new nominees who will contest the Lok Sabha elections as DMK representatives are Radhika Selvi, widow of Venkatesa Panniyar, a well-known Nadar (backward class) leader who had a Robin Hood image.

Panniyar was killed by the AIADMK government in a firing. The Nadars are known to be sympathetic to the AIADMK, so the DMK's nomination of Panniyar's widow might gain it Nadar support not just in the Nadar dominated Tiruchendur constituency but elsewhere as well.

Former union minister TR Baalu (Chennai South) and Raja (Perambalur) have been renominated from the seats they currently hold.

The DMK MP from Cuddalore, Adishankar, has been replaced by K Venkatapathy. Vetriselvan from Krishnagiri has been shunted out and the seat given to EG Sugavanam, who created a sensation by defeating Jayalalithaa from Bargur in 1996 Assembly polls.

Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, a minister in the MG Ramachandran Cabinet who crossed over to the DMK and was named in the Jain Commission report as the minister in whose farmhouse LTTE sympathisers stayed as they planned the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi, has been fielded from Tiruchengode.

Former AIADMK minister S Raghupathy will contest from Pudukottai, represented by union minister S Thirunavukkarasar. Thirunavukkarasar was not "permitted" to contest the seat by Jayalalithaa after he joined the BJP.

Three women - Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan (Tiruchengode), Bhavani Rajendaran (Ramanathapuram) and Radhika Selvi (Tiruchendur) - find place in the DMK list.

The Congress has fielded no women, because of which Congress women leaders from Tamil Nadu staged a dharna at AICC secretary GK Vasan's residence