Thanjavur: With the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) now naming V Abdulla Sait as its candidate for Thanjavur, the November 19 polls to this constituency, touted to be a DMK forte, is all set to witness a multi-cornered contest.

Sait, 39, originally hailing from Keezha Sirupothu village in Mudukulathur taluk in Ramanathapuram district, runs motor-vehicle spare parts shop, in Pudupet, Chennai. The post-graduate also holds an LLB degree.

Just three days left for the last date for filing nominations, four candidates, including an independent, have so far filed their nominations.

Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate A Nalladurai filed his papers on October 26 while V Jagannathan filed his papers as an independent the next day. AIADMK candidate M Rangaswamy and DMK candidate Dr Anjugam Boopathy filed their papers on the same day on October 28.

Though the popular People Welfare Front (PWF) has decided not to contest the elections for the constituency, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) which has no vote bank worth mentioning in the state has announced its state general secretary Karikal Chozhan as its candidate, while the BJP and the PMK have named M S Ramalingam and G Kunjithapatham respectively as their candidates.

The election commission countermanded the Thanjavur constituency Assembly polls of May 16 on charges of cash distribution and other malpractices by AIADMK candidate Rangaswamy.

The DMK has won here in 1962, 1971, 1977, 1989, 1996, 2001 and 2006.

The AIADMK wrested Thanjavur assembly seat from the DMK when its candidate S D Somasundaram defeated DMK candidate SNM Ubayadullah by a margin of 19,861 votes for the first time in 1991.

The AIADMK again won here when M Rangaswamy defeated DMK candidate and the then minister SNM Ubayaduallah by a margin of 7,329 votes in 2011. It was a prestigious win for the AIADMK as Ubayadullah had won from Thanjavur four times in the past.

It remains to be seen whether the AIADMK will retain this prestigious assembly seat or the DMK will restore its lost glory.