On last day of filing papers, Handlooms Minister R. Gandhi gets DMK ticket

In a last minute development, Tamil Nadu Handlooms Minister R. Gandhi, who was denied a party ticket to contest the upcoming Assembly election, managed to file his nominations from his sitting constituency, Ranipet, after his son withdrew from the race on Monday, the last date for filing papers.

The DMK high command had denied ticket to three Ministers, including Mr. Gandhi. In Ranipet, DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had announced the candidature of Mr. Gandhi’s son Vinod Gandhi, the DMK environment wing State deputy secretary. Mr. Gandhi, however, is learnt to have sulked over the denial of ticket.

In a social media post on Monday, Mr. Vinod, thanked Mr. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for reposing trust in him and giving him the ticket. “However, considering my father’s strong desire to contest once again, I have decided to respectfully step aside and return this opportunity to him,” he said.

Later, he announced, his father had filed the nomination with the Returning Officer as a “DMK candidate”.