Actor Vishal Krishna on Thursday made a vain last-ditch attempt, seeking a review of the decision of the Returning Officer in the R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency. The officer had rejected the actor’s nomination papers as an independent candidate on the grounds that two proposers had claimed that their signatures were forged.
Mr. Vishal arrived at the office of Returning Officer Velusamy barely a couple of hours before the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations ended on Thursday afternoon and pleaded for a review.
The actor later told reporters that Mr. Velusamy had told him that on Tuesday that he had orally announced that the nomination papers were being accepted only under duress from him and his supporters.
‘CCTV camera is proof’
Upset over the Returning Officer’s decision, Mr. Vishal said, “This is democracy at its lowest. I will take this up with the Election Commission. What kind of message are we giving to common citizens of the country? How can a Returning Officer accuse me of threatening him when we were literally begging him?” he asked.
Stating that the camera inside the Returning Officer’s office would have recorded any such incident had it happened, Mr. Vishal said, “I cannot challenge it now. But, police officials were there, government officials were there, other candidates were there with me…It will be caught on the camera. When the officer called out No. 72 and said that my nomination was accepted, I celebrated and went home after shaking his hands. Two hours later, I learnt through the media that my nomination had been rejected.”
On the whereabouts of Deepan and Sumathy, who signed as proposers in his nomination papers before claiming that they were forged, Mr. Vishal said, “I don’t know where they are. I am worried about their safety.
“Anyone can go to their houses, there are men standing outside today. I am not thinking about contesting the election any more, I only want them to be safe.”
