Jayalalithaa expands by-poll panel

CHENNAI: Leaving no stone unturned for winning the Sankarankoil by-election, Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Monday expanded the party’s election committee by including nine more senior leaders, including six ministers.Jayalalithaa had on February 7 announced a 34-member committee for monitoring election works. The panel had 26 ministers as members.With those added to the list on Monday, the number of members has gone up to 43. The ministers inducted for election work on Monday were P Palaniappan, V Moorthy, K A Jeyapaul, N Subramanian, A Mohammedjan and M S M Anandan. The three other members announced on Monday were A Thamizhmagan Hussain, secretary, MGR Mandram, M Thambidurai, propaganda secretary and S Semmalai, organising secretary.Cong to Support DMK The Congress has decided to support DMK nominee Jawahar Suriyakumar in the by-poll. TNCC president BS Gnanadesikan said AICC general secretary and party in charge for state, Gulam Nabi Azad, has approved the decision.  Muthukumar for DMDKMeanwhile, the DMDK named K Muthukumar, party’s Tirunelveli West district deputy secretary as it’s candidate for the by-poll.