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Kannan releases first list of nominees

S.Nadarajan

Announces nominees for five out of 10 constituencies allotted to PMC

Pondicherry: Founder of the Puduchery Munnetra Congress (PMC) P. Kannan announced at a press conference here on Wednesday the first list of names of the party's candidates for five out of ten constituencies earmarked for the party in the Assembly polls here.

(The PMC is an ally of the front comprising the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dalit Panthers of India in Pondicherry).

The following is the first list:

K. Lakshminarayanan (Cassicadai), P. Rajavelu (Bahoor reserved constituency), T. Jayamoorthy (Ariyankuppam), C. Ramadoss (Villianoor) and V.K. Ganapathy (Karaikal South).

Mr. Kannan said the second list for the remaining five constituencies (Raj Bhavan, Kuruvinatham, Bussy, Modeliarpet and Nettapakkam) would be released shortly.

Mr. Kannan said he would contest the poll and the constituency from where he would seek election would be known shortly.

Mr. Lakshminarayanan, a former Education Minister and Mr. Rajavelu, a former Government whip, were elected in last elections held in 2001 as nominees of the then Puduchery Makkal Congress (Poo.Ma.Ka) from the same constituencies they are now fielded in. (The Poo.Ma.Ka was formed by Mr. Kannan after breaking away from the then Tamil Maanila Congress). That party, which annexed four out of nine constituencies it contested in the 2001 polls, had however short-lived existence as it merged with the Congress when the Rangasamy led government came into existence in November 2001.)

Thus for all practical purposes Mr. Lakshminarayanan and Mr. Rajavelu are now seeking re-election from the constituencies they had annexed in the last election.

Both had resigned the MLA posts about three weeks ago to totally identify themselves with the PMC.

Mr. Jayamoorthy, now fielded in Ariyankuppam, was elected to the Assembly from the constituency in the last poll as an Independent.

He had been supporting from outside the Congress government. Although he quit the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the government run distillery here recently, he has retained the post of MLA.

He joined the PMC some time ago. Mr. Ramadoss, fielded in Villianoor, is a retired schoolteacher and is a greenhorn in poll battle. Mr. Ganapathy is a close confidant of Mr. Kannan.

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