Tamil Nadu - Dindigul   

DMK man files papers as independent

DINDIGUL: In a surprise move, Andi Ambalam (DMK) filed his nomination papers as an independent for Natham constituency against DMK candidate K. Vijayan here on Friday, sending shock waves to both arch rivals DMK and AIADMK.

The Ambalam community people, majority vote bank in Natham and traditional supporters of the Congress, are upset over denial of seat to community head Mr. Andi Ambalam, son of Andi Ambalam (senior) who won the Natham seat seven times from 1977 to 1996 on Congress ticket.

In the 1996 election, senior Ambalam won the constituency on TMC ticket.

In all the elections, he garnered around 40 to 50 per cent of the total votes in the constituency. After his death, Mr. Andi Ambalam was defeated by the AIADMK candidate R. Viswanathan in the 1998 by election. Later, Mr. Andi Ambalam joined the DMK and contested the 2006 polls. AIADMK arch-rival R. Viswanathan won Natham by a slender margin.

He garnered 46.62 percent votes and Mr. Andi Ambalam garnered 43.81 per cent votes.

Protest

The Ambalam community people protested against Mr. Vijayan and convened a community meeting participated by thousands of Ambalam community people in Natham recently and decided to field Mr. Andi Ambalam as an independent, if the DMK failed to withdraw its candidate.

In the Nilakottai constituency, Thamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder president John Pandian filed his papers making the battle tough in the reserved constituency.

Already arch-rivals DMK and AIADMK kept away from Nilakottai and allowing allies Congress and Puthia Thamizhagam to contest.

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