Chennai/ Thiruvarur: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and her archrival M. Karunanidhi filed their nominations on Monday to contest the high-stakes May 16 Assembly elections from R K Nagar and Thiruvarur, choosing an auspicious, muhurtham day for filing their papers.
The Chief Minister, who has never been shy in proclaiming her faith in god and in auspicious days, left her Poes Gardens residence a little after 12 noon and reached the Greater Chennai corporation’s zonal office at Tondiarpet in north Chennai at 12.21 pm where she submitted her nomination papers before Returning Officer T. N. Padmaja Devi at 12.26 pm and left the venue immediately.
As she came out of the zonal office, Ms Jayalalithaa waved at hundreds of party cadres who were waiting outside the premises and flashed her party’s two leaves symbol as well as victory signal. AIADMK’s north Chennai district secretary P Vetrivel was present inside the Returning Officer’s Office when Ms Jayalalithaa submitted her papers.
In a departure from tradition, AIADMK candidates will file their nomination papers on April 28 between 11.50 am and 12.20 pm instead of submitting on the day as their leader does.
The Tamil calendar says 12 pm to 1 pm on Monday was budhanhorai, the best time to go down new avenues. Most of the candidates, including PMK’s Chief Ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss, filed their nomination between 12 pm and 1 pm.
DMK chief Karunanidhi, who had on many occasions ridiculed believers in god and even accused them of practicing superstition, also chose the “auspicious” 12 pm and 1 pm time period to file his nomination to contest from his home-town Thiruvarur.
Contesting his 13th Assembly election, Mr Karunanidhi accompanied by his wife Rajathi Ammal and party leaders like Dayanidhi Maran and T R Baalu arrived at the office of the revenue divisional officer in Thiruvarur and filed his nominations at 12.50 pm.
Not just Mr Karunanidhi, several candidates of his party DMK also followed their leader in filing their nomination on Monday. Mr Karunanidhi, who was at the forefront of the Dravidian movement along with its stalwarts Periyar and C N Annadurai, choosing an auspicious time to file his nomination has evoked widespread criticism both inside and outside the internet world. The DMK leader had often landed in controversies for his statements on superstition and about Hindu gods.
Mr Anbumani, who is contesting his maiden assembly election from Pennagaram in Dharmapuri district, filed his nomination before the assistant commissioner (excise) in Dharmapuri.
