The CPI(M) and the CPI today jointly announced that the parties would contest nine seats each in the April 24 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu. This was announced by CPI(M) State Secretary G Ramakrishnan and CPI State Secretary D Pandian at a media conference in Chennai today after both the parties identified the seats to contest.
The CPI(M) would contest from Coimbatore, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Chennai North, Dindugal, Trichy, Virudhunagar, Villupuram (SC) and Thanjavur constituencies.
The CPI would contest from Tenkasi (SC), Nagapattinam (SC), Puducherry, Tiruppur, Sivaganga, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur (SC) and Tuticorin constituencies. Both the parties would be expanding their presence in the election by contesting 18 seats this time as against as three each in 2009 election.
The CPI(M) would release its candidate list on March 16 and CPI would release its list the following day. The presence of Left parties in 18 constituencies, including the lone seat in Puducherry, is likely to have impact on the poll prospects of other outfits as it would throw up a multi-cornered contest.