BJP TN chief Annamalai, DMK's Dayanidhi Maran and Raja file nominations

DMK MPs Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja and state BJP chief K Annamalai filed their nominations on Wednesday for the Lok Sabha polls and nearly 1,000 candidates have submitted their papers to contest the general election from Tamil Nadu, which has 39 seats.On the last day of filing nominations, Raja and AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran filed their nominations from Nilgiris and Theni, respectively.

DMK MPs Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja and state BJP chief K Annamalai filed their nominations on Wednesday for the Lok Sabha polls and nearly 1,000 candidates have submitted their papers to contest the general election from Tamil Nadu, which has 39 seats.

On the last day of filing nominations, Raja and AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran filed their nominations from Nilgiris and Theni, respectively. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA.

Maran, who is seeking a successive term from the Chennai Central constituency, declared movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 7.81 crore.

Annamalai is contesting from Coimbatore and he was accompanied by BJP Mahila Morcha chief and MLA Vanathi Sreenivasan among others, when he filed his nomination.

According to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu, as many as 993 candidates, 841 men and 152 women have filed nominations.

Karur segment in western Tamil Nadu received 60 nominations, the highest in the state and the lowest was in Villupuram in northern region of the state, where only 10 aspirants filed papers.

In his election affidavit, senior DMK leader Maran submitted that he has Rs 7.81 crore worth movable assets which includes bank deposits and equity shares.

The value of his immovable assets, which had been inherited, stood at Rs 59,000. He said both him and his wife owe no dues to government banks and had nil liabilities.

Pending cases against him included one filed by the CBI for allegedly using ''telephone facilities above the entitlement'' and having caused loss of Rs 1.79 crore to BSNL and MTNL.

He declared he has not been convicted for any criminal offence.

The last date for filing nominations is March 27 and the scrutiny of papers will be held on March 28.

The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 30. The process of submitting nominations began with the issue of notificaiton on March 20.

Minor, sporadic incidents marked the filing of nominations with AIADMK and BJP workers clashing in Nilgiris district and AIADMK and DMK locking horns here on Monday.

Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, DMK MPs Kanimozhi, A Raja, Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leaders Tamilisai Soundararajan, L Murugan and K Annamalai, AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran, Saffron party nominee, actor Radhika Sarathkumar are among the prominent candidates.

O Panneerselvam, who has filed his nomination from Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency as an independent has to fight not only against major political rivals but also against four others, who have the same name and initial.

According to the Election Commission's data, Ochappan Panneerselvam, Oyya Thevar Panneerselvam, Ocha Thevar Panneerselvam, Oyyaram Panneerselvam are the four persons who have the same name and initial like the former chief minister, who heads the AIADMK Workers Retrieval Organisation.

Meanwhile, filing of nominations for the lone seat in Puducherry ended today. A total of 34 candidates have filed nominations for the general election, according an official release.

Sitting Lok Sabha MP and Congress PCC President from Puducherry V Vaithilingam will lock horns with senior BJP leader and current Home Minister in the union territory A Namassivayam.

The AIADMK nominee G Tamizhvendhan and the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate R Menaka, a Siddha practitioner, had also filed their nominations.

The Election commission of India has appointed a general observer and a police observer for Puducherry for the Lok Sabha polls.

A release from the office of Chief Electoral Officer of Puducherry today said Piyush Singla, an IAS officer, has been appointed as general observer and Amardeep Singh Rai, an IPS officer, has been appointed as police observer.

Any complaints or grievances relating to the general elections can be placed before the officers.

Polling to all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry will be held on April 19 in the first phase.