Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK has named TTV Dinakaran, the party’s Deputy General Secretary, as its candidate for the by-election to the RK Nagar Assembly constituency.
The DMK has nominated local functionary Marudhu Ganesh to take on Dinakaran.
The by-election, necessitated by the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, will be held on April 12.
Dinakaran is the nephew of AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala, who is now in jail after being convicted in a corruption case.
The by-poll will be the first major test for the AIADMK, which is in the throes of a major split with former Chief Minister O Paneereselvam breaking away from the party. Panneerselvam has alleged that the party has been taken over by Sasikala and her family. He has the support of grassroots level workers, a dozen MLAs and a number of MPs.
Meanwhile, an aggressive DMK has been attacking the ruling party on various issues, including for what it termed poor governance.
Sasikala brought in her nephew Dinakaran as party's deputy general secretary a day before she surrendered to the Special Court to start her jail term in mid-February.
Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar, who emerged on political scene after Jayalalitha’s death and launched the MGR Amma Deepa Peravai, also plans to contest from RK Nagar.