Congress backs DMK candidate in Sankarankovil bypoll

Congress on Monday decided to support DMK in the March 18 bypoll to Sankarankovil assembly constituency.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B S Gnanadesikan said that Congress General Secretary and in-charge of party affairs in Tamil Nadu Ghulam Nabi Azad agreed to the proposal.

DMK president M Karunanidhi had yesterday hinted that his party was ready to consider fielding a common opposition RPT opposition candidate for the by election if all parties felt the need to prevent vote splitting.

DMK's J Jawahar Suryakumar is pitted against  ruling AIADMK's S Muthuselvi, chairperson of Sankarankovil Municipality in the bypoll, which has been necessitated by the death of state minister C Karuppasamy.

Vijaykant-led DMDK is yet to take a decision on fielding its candidate, while MDMK has announced that former MLA Sathan Thirumalai Kumar would be its candidate for the bypoll.