Congress releases first list of 60 candidates in Tamil Nadu

Ms Jayanthi Thangkabalu, wife of Tamil Nadu Congress chief K V Thangkabalu, former Union Minister S Thirunavukkarasar, youth wing members and several sitting MLAs figured in the first list of 60 candidates released by the Congress for the April 13 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly polls.

The DMK has allotted 63 seats to the Congress after hectic parleys over seat-sharing. The second list of candidates for the remaining three seats is expected soon.
Among the new faces given tickets are Ms Jayanthi from Mylapore constituency in the city and S Thirunavukkarasar, who had joined the Congress recently, quitting the BJP, from his native Aranthangi.

Also given tickets were former VCK leader Selva Perunthagai (Chengam-Res) who had joined the Congress recently after a brief stint with Bahujan Samaj Party, 'Royapuram' Mano from Royapuram in the city and youth wing leaders Mayura S Jayakumar from Singanallur and Yuvraj (Erode West).
Contrary to speculations that the party would not give seats to those who had already completed two terms in the Assembly, several of the existing MLAs were accommodated.

They included Congress Deputy Floor Leader D Yasodha (Sriperumbudur), C Gnanasekaran (Vellore), Kovai Thangam (Valparai), K Jayakumar (Madurantakam), M K Vishnu Prasad (Cheyyar), S Sivaraj (Rishivandhiyam), M R Sundaram (Tiruchengode), R M Palaniosamy (Modakurichi), Vidyal Sekar (Kangeyam), Arul Ambarasu (Sholingur), Gopinath (Hosur), Dr Gayathri Devi (Alandur) , C Amaramurthy (Ariyalur), H Vasantha Kumar (Nanguneri) and Peter Alphonse (Kadayanallur).