DMK denies tickets to three MPs

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Monday denied tickets to three of its10 members in the dissolved Lok Sabha and brought in three new faces, including Dayanidhi Maran, son of Murasoli Maran, and the widow of a backward Nadar community leader.

Dayanidhi will contest from Chennai (central), represented by his father and the late Union commerce minister. Dayanidhi is the grandnephew of DMK president M Karunanidhi.

Former Union minister T R Baalu and A Raja, who resigned from the Vajpayee ministry following the party's decision to quit the National Democratic Alliance, are among the seven members of the dissolved Lok Sabha who have been renominated.

In a bid to woo the dominant backward Nadar community in the southern districts of the state, the party has decided to field Radhika Selvi, widow of the Nadar community leader from Tiruchendur, Venkatasa Pannaiyar, who was killed in a police encounter.

Besides Radhika Selvi, other women who are in the fray are Bhavani Rajendran (Ramanathapuram) and Subbulakshmi
Jagadeesan (Tiruchengode).

Adi Shakar (Cuddalore) Vetriselvan (Krishnagiri) and Jayaseelan (Tiruchendur) have been denied a ticket.