DMK's Dayanidhi Maran files nominations for Central Chennai Lok Sabha constituency

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Sitting Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Dayanidhi Maran on Wednesday filed his nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Maran filed his nomination papers for the Chennai Central constituency, of which he is the incumbent MP and is seeking re-election for the fourth time.

In the coming general elections, Maran will take on BJP's Vinoj P Selvam who unsuccessfully contested from the Harbour constituency in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Dayanidhi is the son of the late Union Minister, Murasoli Maran and the cousin of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin.

"I thank our party's high command, who gave me this chance to contest in Central Chennai again. Today, I have filed my nomination to contest for Central Chennai. We have done a good job for the welfare of the people in the last 5 years. Whether in the COVID-19 pandemic or other occasions, the DMK cadres were there at the forefront. I hope people will make me win again from this constituency," he said while speaking to the reporters after filing his nomination.

The 57-year-old Dayanidhi Maran had won from the Chennai Central constituency in 2004, 2009 and 2019. Dayanidhi Maran was the Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the Dr. Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in 2004.

However, in 2019, he won from Chennai Central constituency with a record margin of 3,01,520 votes as in 2019 the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance had won a whopping 38 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu.

In the 2019 elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance secured an overwhelming victory, winning 38 out of 39 seats. In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won two seats in Tamil Nadu.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 97 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in the general election.

All 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 19 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4. Tamil Nadu ranks fifth in terms of Lok Sabha seats, with 39 seats, including 32 unreserved seats and seven reserved for SC candidates.

As many as 10,90,547 are first-time voters in the state.

"Today is the last date of nomination. The last date for withdrawal is March 30. There are 6.18 crore voters in Tamil Nadu and 39 parliament constituencies. The state has 68144 polling stations and 39 counting centres. First-time voters are 10,90,547 and 4,61,730 physically challenged voters. Voters above the age of 85 are 6,13,991. Seven lakh polling personnel would be given training," Tamil Nadu Chief Election Officer Sahyabrata Sahoo.