AIADMK nominee files papers for bypoll to Jaya's constituency

Tiruchirappalli (TN), Jan 19: AIADMK nominee S Valarmathi today filed her nomination for the February 13 byelection to the prestigious Srirangam Assembly constituency, vacated by party supremo Jayalalithaa, following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

Valarmathi, announced as the candidate by Jayalalithaa last week, filed her papers before the Returning Officer on the first day of nominations and within hours after notification for the bypoll was issued. Joint District Secretary of AIADMK's Tiruchirappalli unit, Valarmathi was accompanied by state Minister T P Poonatchi, local MP BKumar and Rajya Sabha member T Rathinavel.

Earlier, Election Commission issued the notification for the bypoll, necessitated by disqualification of Jayalalithaa under the Representation of the People Act after she was sentenced to four years in jail by a special court on September 27 last year on the charges of amassing properties disproportionate to known sources of income when she was Chief Minister for the first time in 1991-95.

The last date for filing of nomination is January 27 and scrutiny would be done the next day while last day for withdrawal is January 30. DMK has re-nominated N Anand, defeated by Jayalalithaa in 2011 Assembly elections. BJP has announced it, too, would contest the poll, while DMK chief M Karunanidhi has appealed to opposition parties to support his party's candidate to mark their protest against the 'anti-democratic' AIADMK regime.

As the nominations opened, it was independent and election enthusiast K Padmarajan who filed his papers as the first candidate. Padmarajan, who has made it a habit to enter the electoral fray, including in Presidential elections, despite successive defeats, told reporters that this was his 167th contest.

The bypoll has assumed star status as both the AIADMK and opposition DMK going all out to grab the constituency, home to famous Lord Sri Ranganthar temple. The AIADMK has already named as many as 50 functionaries, including all Ministers, for election related work. DMK Treasurer M K Stalin will launch his party's electioneering on January 24 by opening its election office and addressing a party workers meeting in Srirangam, a party release said today.

PTI