2 months ago
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Film producer, director, and histrion Sundar C. has been nominated by the Pudiya Neethi Katchi (New Justice Party) to contention from the prestigious Madurai Central Assembly constituency.
The party, which is an state of the AIADMK, said it would question votes connected the latter’s ‘two leaves’ symbol.
A.C. Shanmugam, laminitis of the PNK, said connected Saturday (March 28, 2026) that the AIADMK, nether the enactment of Edappadi K. Palaniswami, would expanse the Assembly predetermination and comfortably signifier the adjacent government. He added that, with the DMK facing terrible disapproval from the nationalist for its “failures crossed sectors” implicit the past 5 years, the AIADMK would reconstruct its mislaid sheen.
Mr. Sundar has worked arsenic a producer, writer, and manager successful Tamil cinema, and has been associated with deed films specified arsenic Anbe Sivam, the Aranmanai series, and the Kalakalappu series. It whitethorn beryllium recalled that his sanction was precocious proposed arsenic the manager of a caller movie starring Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, but helium aboriginal expressed his inability to instrumentality up the project.
The PNK, which has been allotted 2 seats successful the NDA, volition determine connected the 2nd spot connected Monday (March 30) successful Chennai, Mr. Shanmugam said successful a property note.
AIADMK cadre disappointed
AIADMK functionaries, however, expressed disappointment implicit the spot not being allocated to a campaigner from their party. “Madurai Central is simply a prestigious seat… and giving it to the state is unfortunate,” an AIADMK councillor successful the Madurai Corporation said.
Though Mr. Sundar is fashionable and his wife, actor-politician Kushbu, is besides a celebrity, the radical successful the constituency would person been much comfy with a campaigner from the autochthonal area, the councillor said. However, since the enactment precocious bid made the decision, the cadre basal would enactment hard for the triumph of the confederation partner.
PTR banks connected goodwill
Though the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and histrion Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) are besides successful the fray, the contention volition astir apt beryllium betwixt the 2 large Dravidian parties — the DMK and the AIADMK — governmental observers successful the ‘temple’ metropolis said.
With Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, the sitting minister, expected to contention for the 3rd consecutive clip from the Madurai Central constituency (the database is yet to beryllium announced by the DMK), helium appears to beryllium confident, DMK functionaries said.
A functionary said, “Mr. Rajan has a thorough cognition of the segment. He is the lone elected typical successful the State who releases a advancement paper doubly a twelvemonth connected his show and openly declares, with pride, that helium does not bribe voters.”
In 2016, the DMK polled 42.55% of the votes, and successful 2021, the enactment secured 49.47%. On some occasions, Mr. Rajan defeated the AIADMK. Having delivered galore works and caller facilities to the people, helium is expected to amended his show successful 2026, the DMK functionary added.
Further, the radical successful the constituency clasp Mr. Rajan successful precocious regard, DMK sources said, arsenic helium has astir 3 decades of acquisition moving successful the firm assemblage successful the USA, Singapore, and different locations. The enactment precocious bid initially assigned him the concern portfolio, but for assorted reasons, helium was aboriginal shifted to IT & Digital Services, considered a little salient portfolio.
The anti-incumbency factor
The DMK, which has been successful powerfulness for the past 5 years, surely faces anti-incumbency challenges successful the election. On apical of this, determination are intra-party feuds that request to beryllium addressed by the leadership, arsenic Mayor Indrani Pon Vasanth — who had been reprimanded by Mr. Thiaga Rajan — resigned aft her husband, Pon Vasanth, came nether scrutiny successful the spot taxation scam and was placed successful judicial custody.
For the clip being, AIADMK functionaries are agreed successful mounting speech differences and moving hard for the party’s triumph successful the State. However, the DMK is besides assured of a landslide win, believing that their achievements volition basal by them.
