RK Nagar bypoll: Nomination accepted says Vishal, rejected says EC

Deepa had filed her nomination for the by-election yesterday as an independent candidate. Her nomination papers were accepted in April when bypoll was originally scheduled to be held for RK Nagar.

After a prolonged drama over actor Vishal's nomination for the R K Nagar bypoll, the Election Commission of India finally rejected the same. While actor Vishal declared that his nomination had been accepted and made the announcement official, the returning officer for the R K Nagar bypoll in a statement declared Vishal's nomination invalid.

"...I conclude that required number of the proposers have not validly proposed the candidature of Vishal Krishna and that he had been proposed only by 8 valid proposers and hence he has not fulfilled the conditions for valid nomination," a statement from the Returning officer said.

Hours before the EC's official announcement, Vishal claimed that his nomination had been accepted after being rejected initially. After Election Commission rejected nomination papers of actor Vishal's for the December 21 RK Nagar bypoll in Chennai, his supporters blocked the road outside the returning officer's office in Chennai. However, after he released a phone recording this evening suggesting that his proposers had been threatened, his nomination was kept in abeyance. Vishal took to Twitter to declare that his nomination had been accepted.

"After much struggle, my nomination for the RK Nagar election is finally accepted.... Truth Always Triumphs !! #JusticeServed #DemocracyPrevails" the actor tweeted.

Earlier in the day, EC had rejected nominations of former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar for RK Nagar bypoll.

The EC rejected Deepa and Vishal's nominations after several discrepancies were found in their forms.

Deepa had filed her nomination for the by-election yesterday as an independent candidate. Her nomination papers were accepted in April when bypoll was originally scheduled to be held for RK Nagar.

However, Election Commission decided to cancel the vote on charges of distribution of money and gift items to lure the electors.

In February, Deepa had floated the MGR Amma Deepa Peravai party to start her political career. The R.K. Nagar constituency, which was represented by Jayalalithaa, fell vacant upon her death on 5 December last year.

OneIndia News