Chennai: With the AIADMK announcing its nominee for the January 9 bye-election to the Tamil Nadu assembly from Tirumangalam constituency in Madurai district, a virtual three cornered contest is on the cards.

AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa today announced that M Muthuramalingam, AIADMK's rural district deputy secretary would be the party's candidate for the bypoll.

 The DMK had fielded Latha Adiyaman, widow of former DMK MLA, while actor-turned-politician Vijaykant s DMDK announced that its Madurai district deputy secretary T Danapandiyan would be its candidate.

The bypoll was necessitated by the death of MDMK MLA Veera Ilavarasu recently. In 2006 assembly polls, he defeated Velusamy (DMK) by 5,000 votes.

MDMK won the seat in alliance with the AIADMK. AIADMK requested the MDMK to give up its claim on the seat in its favour and MDMK chief Vaiko readily agreed.

Danapandiyan was DMDK's nominee in 2006 assembly polls also and got over 15,000 votes. All the candidates of the major parties hailed from the backward Thevar community, a dominant one in the constituency.

The bypoll, coming just ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls is considered by political parties as a testing ground of their popularity.

Source : PTI