PMK Says It Will Contest Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls 'Independently'

Erode: PMK today said it would contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections "independently" and there will be no "last minute change" in the party's decision.

"We have no second thoughts... will contest independently and there will be no last minute change in our decision," PMK founder S Ramadoss told reporters in Erode.

The party, which has been projecting itself as the alternative to Dravidian majors AIADMK and DMK, would release the candidates list for all 234 seats at an 'apt' time, he said.

PMK, which contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as a part of BJP-led NDA, had last year initially resolved to forge an alliance for the state elections, but later changed its stand in September, saying it would go alone.

The party also announced its youth wing chief and Mr Ramadoss' son Anbumani Ramadoss as its 'chief ministerial candidate' but later said parties which accepted it as the leader of the alliance can join hands with it.

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Recently PMK had offered to give 'deputy chief minister post' to BJP if the party-led alliance came to power.

Mr Ramadoss today said PMK would contest all 234 seats on its own and emerge victorious in at least 120 constituencies and form the government.

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When asked whether the party would not change its stand again, he said it was firm on contesting alone and there would be no change in the last minute.

On the recent opinion poll which had projected lower vote percentage for his party, Mr Ramadoss alleged it was biased.

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He claimed the popularity of Mr Anbumani, who has been touring the state, was increasing.