Tamil Nadu Assembly election: VCK under compulsion to consider local candidates, says Thirumavalavan

VCK leader Thirumavalavan emphasizes the need for local candidates amid concerns over past electoral losses due to outsiders.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol. Thirumavalavan on Saturday said he had to consider candidates from the constituencies allotted to the party, since the seat allocation would be fewer than 10. “It is an important issue. We should field local candidates,” he said, addressing party members through a virtual meeting.

Mr. Thirumavalavan also recalled the opinion of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) that the party lost in the Arakkonam and Vanur constituencies because its candidates were outsiders. “But the irony is that all six candidates were also outsiders, and four of them won. We lost in two constituencies by a narrow margin,” he said, requesting party members not to create any pressure and to allow him to choose the candidates independently.

He also pointed out that the Communist parties leave it to the district committees to send a list of candidates, and the State committee would finalise the list. Mr. Thirumavalavan added that he was able to field as many as 25 candidates when the VCK was part of the People’s Welfare Front (PWF).