The party has already nominated K. Pitchandi, who has been named pro-tem Speaker to swear in the new legislators, as the Deputy Speaker.  

 

Talking to IANS, a senior DMK leader said: "Appavu is a leader with vast experience and is a four-term MLA. The party will announce his name soon as our Speaker candidate for the 16th Tamil Nadu Assembly."

 

Appavu won from the Radhapuram constituency in Tirunelveli district, defeating sitting AIADMK MLA, S. Inbadurai by a margin of 5,925 votes. In the 2016 elections, Inbadurai had defeated Appavu by a margin of 49 votes and the election case filed by Appavu is still pending in the Supreme Court.

 

He had won the seat for the first time in 1996 as a Tamil Maanila Congress-M candidate in alliance with the DMK, and in 2001, as an Independent as he had left the TMC- M following its decision to align with the AIADMK.

 

In 2006, he won from the same constituency on a DMK ticket, while in 2011, he did not contest.