MK Stalin, Captain Vijayakanth file their papers

Chennai: DMK Treasurer M.K. Stalin, DMDK-PWA chief ministerial candidate Vijayakanth and VCK supremo Thol. Thirumavalan are some of the star candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday to contest the high-stakes May 16 Assembly elections.

Several candidates of the DMK, DMDK, VCK, TMC and BJP also filed their nomination papers before the respective Returning Officers across the state.

Prominent among them were VCK’s Vasanthi Devi, who takes on Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in R.K. Nagar and former Chennai Mayor M Subramaniam of the DMK from Saidapet.

Mr Stalin, accompanied by party men, arrived at the Ayanavaram Zonal Office of the Greater Chennai Corporation at around 2 pm and submitted his nomination before the Returning Officer Ms Karthika. The DMK treasurer is seeking reelection from Kolathur constituency in Chennai. Immediately after filing nomination, Mr Stalin began his campaign in Kolathur constituency.

In Ulundurpet, the DMDK chief, accompanied by his wife Premalatha and brother-in-law L K Sudeesh, filed his nomination at 1.40 pm before the constituency’s Returning Officer Mukundan. Mr Vijayakanth, who won the 2011 elections from near-by Rishivandiyam in Villupuram district, shifted to Ulundurpet due to perceived anti-incumbency in his original constituency.

VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan filed his nomination around 11.30 pm at the Tahsildar office in Kaatumannarkoil. After his nomination before Returning Officer Muthukumaraswamy, the VCK supremo exuded confidence that the DMDK-PWA would form the next government, ushering in an era of coalition government in Tamil Nadu.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and PMK’s Chief Ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss had filed their nominations on Monday, choosing an auspicious day and timing. Candidates belonging to AIADMK and its alliance partners will be filing their nominations on Thursday during an auspicious hour chosen by the party high command.