Nominations of 32 candidates accepted for RK Nagar bypoll

Chennai: On Thursday, election department officials accepted the nomination of 32 candidates, including the papers filed by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and CPI (M) candidate C. Mahendran. Of the total 50 candidates’ nominations, 18 have been rejected and 32 accepted, chief electoral officer Sandeep Saxena told reporters. According to the district election department sources, several nominations were rejected on technical grounds such as names missing from the voters’ rolls or those proposing the candidates’ name missing from the electoral rolls.

There was also shortcoming in the affidavits filed. While activist, ‘Traffic’ Ramasamy’s nomination was accepted, another social activist, Sasiperumal’s nomination was rejected. After scrutiny, the ECI released 32 names of candidates in the fray. The last day for withdrawal of nominations is Saturday. In a related development, Chennai collector E. Sundaravalli kickstarted an awareness programme for voters on their participation in polling.

During the previous general Assembly poll, R.K. Nagar recorded a meagre 43 per cent polling and to enhance the poll percentage, the campaign by the election department was initiated this time, official sources said.

Election department officials also released the list of 13 identity cards such as voter ID card, driving licence, passport and Aadhaar card that can be used by voters to exercise their democratic rights. CEO Saxena, in a statement to media houses, also clarified that under section 126(1)(b) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, displaying any election matter including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey in the media, would be prohibited during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of polls in connection with the by-election to Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency.