82 candidates file papers for nomination on day 1 in TN

CHENNAI: Two senior DMK leaders were among the 82 candidates who kicked off the filing of nominations on Friday.

Maideen Khan, the DMK candidate for Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district, and S Muthusamy, former AIADMK minister and DMK candidate for Erode West, filed their papers. All the others who filed the nomination papers were independents or from smaller parties.

Of the 82 nominations filed, seven are women. R K Nagar led with three nominations. “Those who filed the papers from R K Nagar are independents. In other constituencies too not many filed their nomination,“ said an Election Commission official. But till 8pm, no nomina tion was available on line and none of the af fidavits filed by candidates could be collated.

Meanwhile, the EC has announced that no nomination can be filed on April 23 as it is a bank holiday as per the Negotiable Instruments Act. The following day being a Sunday , nomination will again begin only on Monday . DMK president M Karunanidhi is set to file his nomination at Tiruvarur on that day. “While our leader will file the nomination in Tiruvarur, many of our other candidates will file their nominations on Monday ,“ said a DMK candidate from Chennai.

The Governor has de clared May 16, the polling day, as a public holiday, as per a press release issued by chief secretary K Gnanadesikan.