Tiruchy/ Salem: The first day for filing nominations for the April 18 Lok Sabha polls drew a blank in the parliamentary constituencies of Tiruchy, Karur, Perambalur, Erode and Nagapattinam on Tuesday with not a single candidate filing papers. However, an independent, A.V.M. Marimuthu, filed his papers for the Tiruvarur Assembly bye-poll to be held simultaneously with LS polls.
Marimuthu submitted his papers to the Tiruvarur RDO and returning officer for the Assembly bye-election, official sources told DC over phone.
The ruling AIADMK candidate N R Sivapathy for Perambalur seat, met the AIADMK’s Tiruchy rural district secretary and Rajya Sabha member T. Rathinavel and local ministers Vellamandi Natarajan, Mrs. Valarmathi and party seniors at Tiruchy and sought their support.
In Salem, on the first day, an independent candidate, Shahjahan, on behalf of Bismallah Makkal Katchi, filed his nomination papers to the Salem collector and DEO, Ms. Rohini Bhajubhakare on Tuesday.
In Namakkal for LS polls on Tuesday. — DC
In Namakkal, a self-styled Gandhian, T Ramesh, a social worker, Yoga instructor and president of the Ahimsa Socialist party, attired like the Mahatma came pedaling on a bicycle to file the first nomination paper for Namakkal LS seat as an independent. He submitted his papers to the district collector, Dr Asia Mariam. There was no nomination filed for Erode Lok Sabha seat on the first day.
Meanwhile, flying squad officials of Karur district seized Rs 5.63 crore worth jewellery kept in 13 steel boxes, without any valid documents, from a car proceeding to Salem from Madurai, during vehicle checks at Andipattikottai on Karur Dindigul NH near Karur on Monday night.
According to occupants of the car, employees of a private courier firm, they were taking the jewellery to hand them over to 13 jewellery shops at Salem.
Later, the seized gold jewels along with the car were brought to the Karur collectorate and handed over to the district collector T. Anbazhagan. If they produced valid documents, the jewels would be returned to them, he said, adding, the procedures have been made clear.
