Congress fields sitting MLA Ruby Manoharan in Nanguneri

As anticipated, the Congress has fielded its state treasurer and sitting MLA Ruby R. Manoharan in Nanguneri again for the upcoming Assembly election while the national party has reposed its faith in V.P. Durai, son of late Cheranmahadevi MLA Veldurai, who has been fielded in the Ambasamudram segment.

Mr. ‘Ruby’ Manoharan, an Indian Air Force veteran, from Marthandam in Kanniyakumari district, is a builder. He lost the electoral battle to AIADMK’s Reddiyarpatti V. Narayanan in the 2019 by-election in Nanguneri constituency, which was necessitated following the resignation of Congress candidate H. Vasanthakumar after his election to the Lok Sabha from Kanniyakumari Parliamentary constituency. But he avenged his defeat in 2021 election by defeating Mr. Narayanan, who is contesting this time too as Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam candidate.

The Supreme Court declared null and void in 2011 the election of Ambasamudram Congress candidate Mr. Durai’s father Veldurai from erstwhile Cheranmahadevi constituency in 2006 after P.H. Manoj Pandian, the runners-up of this poll, challenged his election based on the discrepancies information Veldurai had provided in his election affidavit. The election was declared invalid due to Veldurai’s holding subsisting government contracts during his nomination, a violation of Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act.