CHENNAI: H.V.Hande, former Health Minister, C.Velayutham, Bharatiya Janata Party's first Member of the Assembly in Tamil Nadu, and H. Raja and G.Kumaravelu, general secretaries of its State unit, are among those who have been fielded by the party for the Assembly elections.

The first list, containing the names of candidates for 139 constituencies, was released in New Delhi on Monday after the party's central election committee, headed by president Rajnath Singh, cleared it.

The BJP has decided to face the elections without the support of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. It will field its candidates in around 180 constituencies, leaving the remaining seats to about 10 organisations including the Janata Party.

Dr.Hande will try his luck again from Anna Nagar, where he took on DMK president M.Karunanidhi in 1980. At that time, he was the AIADMK candidate and lost to Mr. Karunanidhi by 699 votes.

C.Velayutham, vice-president of the State BJP, will contest from Padmanabhapuram, from where he was elected to the Assembly 10 years ago. He lost the 2001 polls.

Mr. Raja, also the deputy leader of the outgoing House, is the BJP candidate for Alandur.

In the 2001 elections, he was elected from Karaikudi. Then, the BJP was in the company of the DMK. Mr.Kumaravelu is contesting from Park Town, one of the smaller constituencies. Three years ago, he became one of the general secretaries of the State BJP. V. Vaidyalingam, another vice-president, is the party candidate in Harbour.

Of the party candidates, there are 20 from the Scheduled Castes, two from the Scheduled Tribes and two from the minority communities. Seven women candidates figure in the list, of whom one each is from SC, ST and a minority community.

Two more sitting MLAs, Jega Veerapandian and K.V.Muralidharan, are seeking re-election from Mayiladuthurai and Thali.

Interestingly, senior leaders of the State unit are not contesting the elections.

Last month, M.Venkaiah Naidu, the party strategist for the south, had told reporters that all the senior leaders except L.Ganesan, national vice-president, and S.Thirunavukkarasar, Member of Parliament, would face the polls.

"Reserved for campaign"

C.P.Radhakrishnan, president of the State unit, Pon.Radhakrishnan, State general secretary, and K.N.Lakshmanan, leader of the legislature party, are not in the fray.

Asked why they are not contesting, Rajeev Pratap Rudy, BJP election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, said their services were required for intensive campaign in different parts of the State.

The BJP also released the list of candidates for 20 Assembly constituencies in Pondicherry.

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