Chennai, March 21 : The DMK announced its candidate list on Wednesday by fielding sitting MP D.M. Kathir Anand from Vellore Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Kathir Anand is the son of DMK General Secretary and Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister, S. Duraimurugan, who is a powerful leader of the party and considered a close confidant to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

The 49-year-old DMK leader won the Vellore Lok Sabha seat in 2019 by a slender margin of 8,142 votes. He defeated the AIADMK candidate A.C. Shanmugam in a closely fought contest.

Interestingly, in 2019 a bypoll was held in Vellore on August 8 as President Droupadi Murmu had rescinded the election to Vellore along with other Lok Sabha seats following recommendations by the Election Commission (EC).

The EC had said that elections could not be held along with other Lok Sabha seats as an amount of Rs 11.5 crore was seized from Thoothukudi and the accused person who was apprehended had revealed that the money was meant for influencing voters of Vellore constituency.

The AIADMK has yet to announce its candidate for the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency since the first list of 16 candidates was released on Wednesday by the party.

/IANS