No candidate filed nominations for the Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituencies and for Paramakudi and Manamadurai Assembly by-elections on Wednesday, the second day for filing papers for the April 18 elections.
Ramanathapuram Returning Officer (RO) and Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and Sivaganga RO and Collector J. Jayakanthan remained in their chambers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. but no candidate turned up. Revenue Divisional Officers (RDOs) who were ROs for the Assembly by-elections said no candidate turned up to file the papers.
While Tuesday, the first day for filing papers was considered inauspicious, the full moon day on Wednesday was also considered inauspicious, party circles said. After the filing of nominations opened on Tuesday, only one candidate, V. Vinayagamoorthy, an independent, filed nominations to contest from Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency.
The AIADMK has allotted the two Lok sabha seats to its ally, the Bhratiya Janata Party (BJP) and the party was yet to announce the candidates. The DMK has allotted the Ramanathapuram constituency to its ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and the party has fielded its advisory committee member Navas Kani. It has allotted the Sivaganga seat to its ally, the Congress and the party was yet to announce the candidate.
The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) has fielded Va Thu Na Anand, party’s district secretary and son of former AIADMK Minister Va Thu Natarajan in Ramanathapuram and ‘Therbogi’ V. Pandi, the district secretary in Sivaganga. The two Assembly constituencies would witness a triangular contest involving the AIADMK, DMK and AMMK in the by-elections.
