It was high drama at the Ripon Buildings, after the District Election Office on Friday rejected 25 nominations out of the 64 filed for the post of Chennai Mayor.
Mayor M. Subramanian was among the candidates whose nominations attracted strong opposition from the AIADMK during the scrutiny of nomination papers by the District Election Office in the morning. The AIADMK opposed the nomination, claiming that according to a recent amendment, a person holding the post of a councillor cannot contest for the Mayor post. However, the District Election Office accepted the nomination of Mr. Subramanian after consultations with legal experts.
Similarly, the nomination of Congress Mayoral candidate Saidai P. Ravi was also accepted. The candidates whose nominations were rejected staged a protest on the premises of Ripon Buildings in the afternoon. Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan led the protesters following the rejection of the nomination of Mayoral candidate Amir Hamsa, belonging to the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). As the number of protesters gradually increased, they heckled one of the observers who had come for the scrutiny of nomination papers. More police personnel were deployed on the premises of the Ripon Buildings after the situation became tense.
The District Election Office finally accepted the nomination of Amir Hamsa. After the protesters led by Mr. Thirumavalavan left the premises of the Ripon Buildings, BJP and Samajwadi candidates staged a protest. Police arrested a total of 33 members of the BJP including their Mayoral candidate Rajendra Kumar Hiravat.
According to police sources, they were released later in the evening. Samajwadi Party Mayoral candidate K.Rajendran said that the nominations were rejected citing a reason of wrong serial number. “I filled the form with information provided by the Corporation zonal officials. But the District Election Office is now claiming that the number is wrong. I will seek remedy from the judiciary,” said Mr.Rajendran.
