AAP spots error, candidate to file papers today in Tiruchi

The decision was taken at the eleventh hour even while Mr. Ravi was on his way to the Collector’s office in the city to file the nomination papers.

P. Ravi, Aam Aadmi Party candidate in Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency, offering floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi Asthi Mandapam in Tiruchi on Friday. PHOTO: M. MOORTHY

The Aam Aadmi Party candidate for the Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency P. Ravi, who was scheduled to file his nomination papers on Friday, deferred the move at the last minute apparently after an error was detected in his affidavit.

The decision was taken at the eleventh hour even while Mr. Ravi, accompanied by district office-bearers of the party, was on his way to the Collector’s office in the city to file the nomination papers.

Mr. Ravi earlier offered floral tributes at the Gandhi Asthi Mandapam on the campus of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital and the Salt Satyagraha memorial stupi in the city.

In between, they were said to have got a message from party office bearers from Chennai, pointing out an error in his affidavit. “Party office-bearers in Chennai had noticed an error in his affidavit and asked us to correct the same.

“We needed sometime to do it. Mr.Ravi will file his nomination papers on Saturday,” said N. Krishna, district secretary, AAP.

Mr. Ravi, a pattimandram speaker, is no stranger to electoral politics having contested three Lok Sabha polls as Independent since 2001. In the 2001 by-election, he polled 16,417 votes to finish third behind Dalit Ezhilmalai of the AIADMK and M.N. Sukumar of the BJP. In 2004, Mr. Ravi polled 7,831 votes and in the previous election in 2009, he tallied 5,016 votes.