Key leaders in Tamil Nadu file nomination papers

Key leaders across various political parties — chief minister and AIADMK co-ordrinator Edappadi Palaniswami, Dravida Munnetra Kazgham president M K Stalin and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan — filed nominations on Monday and hit the ground for campaign for the April 6 polls.

Palaniswami filed his nomination from his hometown in Edappadi in Salem district from where he has been elected four times (1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016).

“I come twice a week to Edappadi, you can meet me anytime. Let this continue to be the chief minister’s constituency,” Palaniswami said and urged people to vote for the party. “Give me another opportunity for Edappadi constituency to be a role model for rest of Tamil Nadu.”

Palaniswami continued to attack the opposition DMK for indulging in dynastic politics after Stalin’s son Udhaynidhi also filed his nomination to contest from Chennai’s Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni from where his late grandfather M Karunanidhi was elected thrice. “They are not a (political) party but a corporate company. Stalin is the boss. The board of directors are Udhaynidhi, Kanimozhi, Dayanidhi Maran, they are running a DMK company. They didn’t work for the people. That’s why they haven’t been in power for ten years,” the chief minister said.

Reacting to the CM’s charges Udhaynidhi said that the MLA’s post wasn’t a direct appointment but an elected one. “I’m contesting...People of Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni will decide. If they think I’m just an heir they can reject me,” Udhaynidhi told reporters after filing his nomination.

Stalin held a roadshow in Chennai to reach the returning officer’s office to file his papers from the Kolathur constituency which was carved out in 2011. Stalin has been elected from the seat since then. Stalin, later, launched his campaign from Tiruvarur, which is his father’s native place and the last assembly constituency from where he was elected.

Leaders of other fledgling political parties who aren’t aligned with the major Dravidian parties and are likely to dent their votebank also filed their nominations.

Haasan making his political debut as chief ministerial candidate filed his nomination from Coimbatore South. His three-year-old party Makkal Needhi Maiam registered a 3.7% vote share in 2019 and has aligned with two smaller parties that walked out of the AIADMK and DMK alliances respectively. Haasan’s contender, BJP’s Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan also filed her papers on Monday and is pipped to be a strong candidate.

Expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran too filed his nominations from Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi as the chief ministerial candidate for AMMK.