Actor Karthik to enter poll fray even as cracks develop in his front

Actor Karthik is likely to contest from Nanguneri in Tirunelve li. His party, Nadalum Makkal Katchi (NMK) has released its first list of candidates in 30 Tamil Nadu assembly constituencies and will release the rest on Wednesday. “There is a fair chance we might get a good result there [in Nanguneri],“ he told TOI.
After failing to finalise a poll alliance with DMK or AIADMK, Karthik recently announced the formation of the Vidiyal with six parties, including Lok Jana Sakthi, Thamilaga Makkal Katchi, Dalit Sena and AIMMK.
However, cracks have developed in the Vidiyal Kootani (Vidiyal Front) with N Sethuraman's All India Moo vendar Munnani Kazhagam (AIMMK) exiting the front and another leader expressing dissent over Karthik's decision not to field a candidate in R K Nagar. On Monday, in a release, Karthik had said that although his party “has a very good candidate in R K Nagar, we have decided not to field him out of absolute respect for our honourable chief minister.“ AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa is contesting from RK Nagar for the second time, after winning a by-poll from there last year.
On Tuesday, one of the members of Vidiyal Front, K Sakthivel of Makkal Manadu Katchi expressed his displeasure over Karthik's decision to a TV channel, and insisted he would field a candidate in RK Nagar.
Karthik said, if elected, he will focus on “free education, better sanitation, improving infrastructure such as roads, drainage and also increase the number of working days under the rural employment scheme to 250,“ he said.