DMK, PMK candidates file nominations for Vikravandi bypoll

The candidates of the DMK and the PMK filed their nominations for the Vikravandi byelection on Wednesday.

DMK candidate Anniyur Siva filed his papers with Returning Officer M. Chandrasekhar at the Vikravandi taluk office. He was accompanied by Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudy, Members of Parliament S. Jagathrakshakan and D. Ravikumar, and the district secretary of the party’s Villupuram South unit, Gowtham Sigamani.

Addressing the media, Mr. Ponmudy said he was confident that his party’s nominee will win by a margin of over one lakh votes. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had executed several welfare measures for women, and they would vote for the DMK, he said.

In the 2021 Assembly election, the DMK’s N. Pugazhenthi won by a margin of 9,000 votes against the AIADMK nominee. The AIADMK, the PMK and the BJP were then part of a single alliance. With the AIADMK not contesting the byelection and the PMK contesting it with the support of the BJP, the margin of victory would be higher this time, he said.

The PMK’s nominee, C. Anbumani, also filed his nomination with the Returning Officer. The candidate was accompanied by PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss and party veteran G.K. Mani.

He told journalists that the DMK was relying only on “money power”, while the PMK was relying on the people’s strength. “The DMK will not succeed in buying votes by deploying as many as 10 Ministers who are camping in the constituency. The PMK will emerge victorious in the byelection,” he said.