CHENNAI: The DMK has declared the party's Thiruvarur district secretary 'Poondi' Kalaivanan as the candidate of the party for the Thiruvarur by-poll. The election is scheduled to take place on January 28.

The bypoll is conducted to fill the seat which fell vacant after the demise of the late DMK stalwart M Karunanidhi.

Only three names were nominated by the party members for the candidature - the party president M K Stalin, his son actor Udhayanidhi Stain and Kalaivanan. While the nomination of Udhayanidhi Stalin raised many eyebrows, there was also a section within the party urging M K Stalin himself to contest in the seat held by his father.

Kalaivanan was the DMK's Tiruvarur district secretary since 2007. He was elected to the post soon after the murder of his brother 'Poondi' K Kalaiselvam, who was then the president of the DMK's district unit.