TVK’s internal candidate selection process has reportedly triggered fresh debate on whether the party can contest the Assembly election on its own.
According to party functionaries, Vijay and Bussy Anand interviewed applicants who had submitted requests to contest in about 60 constituencies. During the interactions, they asked whether the aspirants could manage an estimated campaign spend of around Rs 5 crore per seat.
Many applicants are said to have responded that they would not be able to meet such costs. While the official spending cap for an Assembly candidate is up to Rs 40 lakh, party sources said the actual expenditure is often much higher, and the question exposed the financial strain of a solo contest.
Following this, Anand reportedly sought feedback from district-level office-bearers on the option of forming an alliance. Sources claim around 90% of district heads backed the alliance route, and the feedback has been conveyed to Vijay.
Even as media reports over the past two days have repeatedly highlighted the alliance discussions, Vijay’s side has not issued any denial, party sources noted.
