Assembly polls: Over 122 file papers in TN, Puducherry, Kerala

Over 122 candidates – including Kerala Forest Minister Tiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, former Finance Minister KM Mani and state BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan – filed their nominations for the May 16 Assembly elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry began on Friday.

In Kerala. K Muraleedharan, Padmaja Venugopal (both Congress) and CP John (CMP) also filed their papers from the ruling UDF camp as did former BJP Kerala unit chief V Muraleedharan as the state.

In Tamil Nadu, which has a 234-member Assembly, DMK’s Erode West Constituency candidate, former minister S Muthusamy and the party nominee TPM Moideen Khan at Palayamkottai were among the over 70 candidates who filed their nominations, while three independents submitted their papers in Puducherry.

KM Mani (83), leader of Kerala Congress (M), a constituent of ruling Congress-led UDF, who is contesting from Pala constituency in Kottayam district, filed his papers in Kottayam.

Mani, who holds the record of longest serving member of the state Assembly, had to resign from the Oommen Chandy Cabinet in the wake of the corruption allegations against him in the bar bribery scam. Seven nominations each were filed in Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam districts, the maximum.

The filing of nominations will continue till April 29 and the scrutiny of papers will be held on April 30. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is May 2. 

In Tamil Nadu, CM J Jayalalithaa is expected to file nomination next week from RK Nagar in Chennai, while DMK President M Karunanidhi is scheduled file it on April 25 from his native Tiruvarur constituency.