450 nominations received for Assembly elections in Coimbatore district

As many as 450 nominations were filed by candidates for the 10 Assembly constituencies in Coimbatore district for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections to be held on April 23.

Of these, 278 were filed on April 6, the last date for filing of the nominations. Thondamuthur and Coimbatore South have the highest with 77 and 61 nominations respectively.

Former AIADMK Minister S.P. Velumani, accompanied by former BJP State president K. Annamalai, filed his nomination papers from the Thondamuthur Assembly constituency. According to his affidavit, he has declared his profession as farmer, with movable assets worth ₹1.36 crore and immovable assets worth ₹5.59 crore.

AIADMK candidate S.P. Velumani filing his nomination papers for the Thondamuthur constituency in Coimbatore on Monday, accompanied by former BJP State president K. Annamalai.
| Photo Credit:
Siva Saravanan S.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Velumani expressed confidence of winning by a margin of one lakh votes. He said infrastructure works, including roads, check dams and government offices, had been carried out, along with several initiatives in education and farming. The AIADMK, if voted to power, would take up projects not implemented under the DMK government. The NDA alliance would win 11 constituencies in Coimbatore region, including Avinashi, he added.

V. Senthilbalaji, the DMK candidate for Coimbatore South, who had declared his profession as farmer and public servant, said the party is seeking votes based on what the DMK government had done for the people of Coimbatore in the last five years and what it promises to do in the next five years. “The Assembly’s growth is our target,” he told the media after filing his nomination. He led a massive procession accompanied by representatives of the alliance parties and the DMK cadre before that.

He has movable assets worth ₹1.12 crore and immovable assets worth ₹1.35 crore.

Amman K. Arjunan, the AIADMK candidate for the Coimbatore South constituency, claimed that as many as 48 candidates from Karur had filed nominations as independent candidates. “We will complain to the ECI tomorrow on this. The DMK is scared and that is why so many people from Karur have filed as independent candidates. Coimbatore likes development and growth. The Government Order for establishment of a jewellery park in Coimbatore was issued by the AIADMK government and two acres was allocated at Thondamuthur. We will bring special schemes for the MSMEs and revive the industries of Coimbatore as we have a good relationship with the Centre,” he said.

BJP candidate for Coimbatore North Vanathi Srinivasan filed her nomination on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Accompanying the BJP candidate for Coimbatore North Vanathi Srinivasan, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, told the media that it was clear that people of Tamil Nadu wanted the DMK government to go as it was a corrupt government. Ms. Srinivasan said the State government had not implemented the Vishwakarma Scheme that would have benefited several artisans in Coimbatore South.

Ms. Srinivasan, who is an advocate by profession, has declared movable property worth ₹2.16 crore and immovable property worth ₹3.5 crore.

According to data available on the Election Commission of India website on Monday late evening, Coimbatore South has 37 indepedent candidates and Thondamuthur has 49 independent candidates.