Chennai, May 11 (IANS) Tamil Nadu’s newly constituted Assembly is set to witness its first major political contest even before the House settles into its inaugural session, with the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) preparing to field its own candidate for the Speaker’s election scheduled on May 12.

According to party sources, senior DMK leader and seven-time MLA from Oddanchatram, R. Sakkarapani, is likely to be nominated for the prestigious post. The nomination papers are likely to be filed on Monday, the day the first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly begins with the swearing-in of newly elected MLAs.

The Speaker election is being viewed as the first serious political challenge for the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

Political observers believe the contest could provide an early indication of the government’s stability and the evolving power equations inside the Assembly.

The Assembly arithmetic has thrown up an unusual political situation in Tamil Nadu following the recent elections.

While the DMK has emerged as the single largest opposition party with 59 MLAs, the AIADMK has secured 47 seats and is officially expected to play the role of the principal opposition bloc. However, the AIADMK is itself facing signs of internal unease after the electoral setback suffered by the party under the leadership of Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

Political sources claim that a sizeable section of AIADMK legislators are not fully aligned with the party leadership, triggering speculation over possible abstentions or cross-voting during the Speaker election. So far, Palaniswami has not formally announced the AIADMK’s position on the election.

The stand of its alliance partners, including the BJP, PMK and AMMK, also remains unclear, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the contest.

Senior DMK leaders reportedly see the Speaker election as an opportunity to assess the cohesion within the AIADMK and the broader opposition camp.

Sakkarapani’s likely candidature is said to be based on his long legislative experience and seniority within the party.

Having represented the Oddanchatram constituency seven times, he is regarded as one of the DMK’s most seasoned legislators.

Meanwhile, the ruling TVK government is expected to receive support from parties such as the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK, which were earlier constituents of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) but later extended outside support to the Vijay-led government.

–IANS

aal/dpb