Denied ticket, sitting MLA to go it alone

NAMAKKAL: After being denied a party ticket, Senthamangalam AIADMK MLA C Chandrasekar on Thursday said he would contest elections as independent. Addressing media persons at Kolli hill, Chandrasekar claimed that he was instrumental in turning the constituency into a “stronghold” of the AIADMK.

Chandrasekar, who joined the AIADMK in 2007, got a party ticket in the 2016 Assembly polls. However, in the upcoming polls, S Chandran, who is Kollimalai fishers’ wing secretary, was given the Senthamangalam seat.

Alleging that Chandran was “working for the DMK”, Chandrasekar called upon Chief Minister and AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami to reverse the decision. “If the candidate is not changed within three days, I will compete as independent," he said, adding that he did not intend to resign his party post.

Meanwhile, former AIADMK MP PR Sundaram, who was also denied a ticket after recently resigning as district panchayat vice-president, is mulling his next move.

A loyalist of deputy Chief Minister O Paneerselvam, Sundaram was hopeful of getting a party ticket to contest from Tiruchengode. He had won Rasipuram constituency twice in 1996 and 2001 and was elected MP from Namakkal in 2014. However, his political career now appears bleak as he faces the double whammy of having quit the local body post and being denied a party ticket. Sources said Sundaram was a staunch AIADMK supporter and that he would not consider any move that would tarnish his image. When contacted, Sundaram refused to share his plans.