Left parties announce candidates for Tamil Nadu by-elections

Left-wing parties in Tamil Nadu have announced their candidates for the upcoming by-elections in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has named Lakshmanan as its candidate for Dharapuram, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has selected P Sugandhi for Madurantakam.

In Dharapuram, Lakshmanan has campaigned on the platform that the constituency “need a change,” citing unaddressed grievances such as drinking water shortages, the lack of house-site pattas for renters, and the rising cost of essential commodities. He also called for the recovery and distribution of land allegedly concealed under benami names.

CPM State Secretary P Shanmugam and other Left leaders announced that they would form a coordination committee to campaign against TVK candidates. The leaders emphasized the need for a left-oriented shift in Tamil Nadu politics to address issues like unemployment, rural livelihood crises, and the privatization of education and medical sectors.