The Tamil Nadu ruling ADMK had on Wednesday released the final list of candidates for the upcoming assembly polls and unveiling the list amid the large-scale speculations, ADMK had combinedly shocked and surprised the leaders and members of the party. The list has raised many eyebrows as it was prepared with popular faces and with the shockwaves of rejecting candidacy to some ministers and legislators and the development has come when it was speculated that the current ministers and MLAs would again get the party ticket to contest in the same constituencies. 

The list had disappointed some of the current legislators as the leadership had rejected the candidacy for 41 sitting legislators to contest in the upcoming assembly polls. While the party rejected tickets to three sitting ministers, it has offered seats to the rest of the ministers and also offered tickets to some of the former ministers. ADMK will be contesting in 177 constituencies directly and in the total list, the party had offered tickets to 15 women. 

While 41 MLAs, who were rejected with the prospect to contest again, had braced up a huge shock, our sources said that some of them may switch sides and join the rival party to work against the ADMK for rejecting the ticket. As speculated, Sattur MLA Rajavarman has become the first ADMK MLA to shift his allegiance to the rival party as he wasn't awarded the ticket. In what has become a shocking development, it has been expected that the sitting MLAs who have been rejected by ADMK could ally towards the rival to demand a seat in the upcoming polls. 

Rajavarman has on Thursday officially joined ADMK's rival AMMK in the presence of AMMK's leader TTV Dhinakaran. Rajavarman has been serving as the ADMK legislator from the Sattur constituency in Virudhunagar. Recently, he had developed a tussle with minister KT Rajendra Balaji, who leads the party in the district. Their tussle had escalated and gone to the extent of breaking the ties and it was apparently displayed when Rajendra Balaji had avoided Rajavarman and appointed his close ally to a district-level post in the party. 

Amid the ongoing dispute, Rajavarman had moved his bid to the party's leadership to get a ticket to contest in the upcoming polls. When the party had released the list of candidates, he was disappointed to learn that he has been rejected the candidacy by the party. ADMK has given a ticket to Rajendra Balaji's ally Ravichandran to contest from Sattur and Rajavarman was one of the notable leaders who missed the ticket this time. Following the rejection, he was surfaced with the speculation that he will contest independently or he will join ADMK's rival. 

Ending his allegiance with the ADMK, Rajavarman had on Thursday officially joined AMMK and displayed a fresh allegiance to Dhinakaran and expelled ADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala. He met Dhinakaran in AMMK's office in Chennai and officially inducted him to the party. After becoming an AMMK member, Rajavarman had turned out to be a foe to Rajendra Balaji and ADMK as he vowed that his aim is to defeat ADMK in the polls. 

While addressing the reporters after joining AMMK, Rajavarman said, "My grief is that people who worked hard didn't get an opportunity in the party and the party has rejected the ticket for me due to the influence of Rajendra Balaji. Dhinakaran will become the Chief Minister after the elections and I have joined AMMK with the full support and cooperation from my supporters. I have come first and many will come and the Tamil Nadu people would teach a lesson to those (EPS and OPS) who betrayed Sasikala".

He further stated, "Rajendra Balaji is not supporting the people and henceforth, even God can't save ADMK". By comparing VK Sasikala to God, Rajavarman said that Sasikala had done well to all kinds of people and she has played an important role in awarding the post of minister to many. "I have given the nomination to AMMK to contest in Sattur and I will contest if the General Secretary of AMMK (Dhinkaran) orders me to contest and our aim is to defeat the ADMK in all the seven constituencies in Virudhunagar district", Rajavarman added. 

Rajavarman's statement has come a day after ADMK had released the final list of candidates and three weeks ahead of the crucial assembly polls. Though Rajendra Balaji had given a ticket to contest again, the ADMK has changed his constituency as this time, he will be contesting from the Rajapalayam constituency in Virudhunagar. In the last election, he won from Sivakasi. The ADMK had rejected the tickets to three sitting ministers - Baskaran, Valarmathi, and Nilofer Kafeel to contest in the assembly polls. 

According to reports, ADMK leaders Edappadi Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had expelled Rajavarman from the party after he joined AMMK. The ADMK will be fielding 177 candidates directly while it has allotted 23 seats to PMK and 20 seats to BJP. The state ruling party currently has 14 seats in its hand and it has been expected that these 14 seats will be split and awarded to three allied parties - Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC- GK Vasan) and Puthiya Tamilagam Katchi (Krishnaswamy). Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 6 and the results will be counted on May 2nd during which the winner will be announced. This is the first election for Edappadi Palaniswami as the Chief Minister. 

Must-read: From popular faces to shocking rejections...A look into the list of ADMK candidates for TN Polls!