Tamilnadu: Profile of Candidates

 

The CPI(M) nominee for the Madurai – South constituency is R. Annadurai, aged 50. He entered public life through the Democratic Youth Federation of India, and has served as Madurai district secretary for a decade. He has been imprisoned several times in the past for having agitated over peoples’ causes and issues. He has been the Party’s secretary for the Madurai (Urban) district since 2008.

 

 

Having represented the Dindigul constituency in the Tamil Nadu since 2001, Com. Balabarathy is seeking re-election on behalf of the

Party. Aged 48, she is the holder of a B. Sc. degree. Currently, she is the floor leader of the CPI(M) in the assembly and a member of the Tamil Nadu State Committee. She also serves as the state secretary of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association

 

 

Com. K Balakrishnan, of 59 years of age, is the Party’s candidate for the Chidambaram assembly constituency. A former student of

Annamalai University, Com. Balakrishnan was the first state president of the Students Federation of India. Currently, is a member of the Party’s Tamil Nadu secretariat, in addition to being the state president of the Kisan Sabha. Com. Balakrishnan has a long history of facing imprisonment on multiple occasions for participating in popular struggles and movements. 

 

 

Com. Beema Rao, 51, is the Party’s candidate for the Maduravoyal constituency, adjoining Chennai city. The Democratic Youth federation of India paved the way for Beema Rao’s initiation into public life. He has severed as the Chennai district secretary and state deputy secretary of that organization. Since 1988, he has been a whole-timer of the Party. He is currently the secretary of the Party’s South Chennai district committee and a member of the Tamil Nadu state committee. He has been imprisoned several times in the past for having agitated over peoples’ causes and issues.

 

 

The sitting MLA of Harur [R] constituency, Com. P Dillibabu, is seeking re-election on behalf of the Party. He is a graduate aged 46. His involvement in the Students Federation of India brought him into public life. Currently, he serves as the Party’s Dharmapuri district secretary in addition to being a member state committee of the Kisan Sabha.

 

 

Com. A. Lazar, 60, is the seeking election on behalf of the party to the Legislative Assembly from the Periyakulam [R] constituency. His was inducted into public life through the Students Federation of India. He was the Agricultural Workers’ Union’s secretary for the undivided Madurai District and the district secretary of the CPI(M) in Madurai (Rural). He is a member of the Party’s Tamil Nadu state secretariat and the president of the state unit of the Agricultural Workers’ Union. He also serves as vice-president of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front. He has been incarcerated for 11 months for championing various struggles and demands of the people.

 

 

Com. Leema Rose, who currently represents the Thiruvattar constituency, is contesting from the Vilavancode assembly segment in the forthcoming polls. A B. Sc. and B. Ed. graduate, she is of 39 years of age. She was ushered into public life through the Students Federation of India and the Democratic Youth Federation of India. She has been a member of the CPI(M) since 1989, and was elected as the president of the Melpuram Town Panchayat. She is the district president of the AIDWA in Tamil Nadu and a member of the Party’s district secretariat in Kanyakumari.

 

 

Com. Nagai Mali is the party’s nominee for the Kizhvelur [R] constituency in the Cauvery delta region. Aged 55, he has been a whole-time worker of the Party since his retirement in 2002. Com. Mali is active in the cultural movement, and functions as the Nagapattinam-Tiruvarur district secretary of the Progressive Writers’ Association and its state vice-president. Currently, he is a member of the Party’s district secretariat in Nagapattinam, and district secretary of the CITU.

 

 

Com. Palani, the Party’s candidate for the Palayamkottai assembly constituency is the CPI(M)’s district secretary for Tiruneveli. Aged 59, he holds a M.A. degree. Having been the district secretary of the Students Federation of India in Tirunelveli, he joined the Party in 1971 and became a whole-time worker in 1979. He has severed as district secretary for 18 years and has been a member of the state secretariat since 1989.

 

 

The Party’s nominee for Vikkiravandi assembly constituency, Com. Ramamurthy, 63, is a well-known lawyer. Having been initiated into public life through the student movement, he joined the Party in 1971. He is the state secretary of the All-India Lawyers’ Association, Villupuram district secretary of the Cane Farmers’ Association and a member of the CPI(M)’s Tamil Nadu state committee.

 

 

Com. A Soundararajan, 64, is contesting the general elections in the Perambur constituency in North Chennai on behalf of the CPI(M). His association with the Communist movement began during his days as a student in Madras University, and has been a whole-time worker of the Party since 1971. He is a member of the Party’s state secretariat. He has been involved in the Trade Union movement for nearly four decades now, and has faced several bouts of imprisonment in this connection, including a recent struggle waged by workers in the Foxconn factory. He has been the state General Secretary of the CITU for 8 years now, and is also an All-India secretary of the organization.

 

 

Com. K Thangamani, 59, is facing the elections on behalf of the Party in the western city of Tirupur. Having joined the Trade Union movement in his youth, he became a member of the Party in 1971 and has involved himself in whole-time political work since 1974. He has held several important responsibilities in Youth and Trade Union movements. He was formerly the CPI(M)’s secretary for Coimbatore district, and is now a member of Tamil Nadu State Secretariat