Vellore LS poll: 31 nominations get past scrutiny

Vellore/Chennai: A total of 31 of the 50 nominations filed by candidates of political parties as well as independents, were accepted after scrutiny on Friday for the Vellore Lok Sabha election , scheduled for August 5. The nomination papers of candidates of all three political parties in the fray, the DMK , AIADMK’s ally New Justice Party and Naam Thamizhar Katchi, have been accepted.

The day witnessed some drama over the nominations filed by DMK’s Kathir Anand and New Justice Party’s A C Shanmugam being accepted, after the candidate of a political outfit Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi (DMSK) filed two separate petitions before the returning officer. DMSK candidate Bishop Godfrey Noble said the election commission should not allow Kathir Anand to contest the election since unaccounted cash “seized from his associates” had to led the cancellation of the poll earlier in April. He also objected to AIADMK’s two-leaves symbol being allotted to Shanmugam.

The returning officer who stopped the scrutiny of the papers of Kathir Anand and Shanmugam, following heated arguments, accepted their nominations after scrutiny and rejected the petitions submitted by DMSK. The developments led to tension in the district collectorate campus, with cadres of the DMK reportedly attempting to attack Noble for making false allegations. Police intervened and brought the situation under control.

Later, returning officer A Shanmugasundaram said of the 50 nominations filed, 31 have been accepted and the rest were rejected. With two days left for withdrawal of nominations, the final list of candidates will be released on Monday, he said.

Meanwhile, AIADMK had released an elaborate list of “election in-charges” comprising state ministers and senior party leaders. It has drafted in almost the entire party machinery including former ministers, MPs and MLAs, besides office-bearers for the campaign. In a joint statement, party coordinator O Panneerselvam and deputy coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami have directed the partymen to start intensive campaign from July 22 and remain in the constituency until the election.