Doctor files nomination for RS polls to retain name in Guinness

Chennai, Mar 8 (UNI) Dr K Padmarajan, a practicing doctor, today filed his nomination paper as an Independent candidate for the March 26 elections to fill up six Rajya Sabha seats from the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

His was the only nomination filed on the opening day of filing of nominations, official sources said.

However, his nomination was expected to be rejected during scrutiny as he did not have the support of any political parties.

Each candidate required the support of 34 MLAs from the State Assembly to win a seat to the Upper House of the Parliament.

Dr Padmarajan has a penchant to contest the elections--be it for State Assembly, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha or for the post of President or Vice-President--not to win, but to retain his name in the Guinness Book of World Records.

This was the 81st time he had filed his nomination for the polls.

Seeking to retain his name in the Guinness Book, he had filed his nomination as an Independent candidate for the 80th time during the October 11, 2006, by-poll for the Madurai Central Assembly seat.

Hailing from Mettur in Salem district, Dr K Padmarajan had contested against VVIPs, including former President A P J Abdul Kalam, former Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, former President K R Narayanan and former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

He had been contesting elections since 1997.

Mr Padmarajan had contested 36 times in Parliamentary polls and 25 times in the Assembly elections besides two times each for the presidential and vice-presidential election. He has also contested several times for municipal and cooperative society polls.

Ironically, the Limca Book of Records featured him under the category 'Most unsuccessful candidate' in 2003.

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