Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam is set to contest as an independent candidate in the Ramanathapuram constituency amidst an unusual scenario where a total of 6 candidates bearing the name Panneerselvam have filed nominations.
I made a collage – 6 Paneerselvams are contesting as independents from #Ramanathapuram #TamilNadu in the #LokSabhaElection2024
There's more Paneer(Selvam) in this one constituency, than one can find in a restaurant gravy! 🤣😅😛😆#BJP #NDA #AIADMK #DMK #india #politics pic.twitter.com/JTEMXpo8MB
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) March 28, 2024
However, during the consideration process on 28 March 2024, only the former Chief Minister’s nomination was scrutinized, while the other five did not appear. It is speculated that three of these candidates are affiliated with the AIADMK and two with the DMK. It is noteworthy that the 5 candidates’ nominations have been accepted.
The filing of nominations for the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu commenced on 20 March 2024 and concluded on 27 March 2024. In Ramanathapuram, 42 individuals filed 56 petitions, out of which 28 were accepted after scrutiny by District Collector and Election Officer Vishnu Chandran and Election Inspector Bhandari Yadav.
Among the accepted nominations were former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam as an independent candidate in the BJP alliance, AIADMK candidate Jayaperumal, DMK alliance candidate Nawaz Ghani from the Indian Union Muslim League, and Chandraprabha from the Naam Tamil Party.
The presence of five additional candidates with the same name as the former Chief Minister has raised concerns among supporters, who fear confusion among voters during symbol allocation and voting. O. Panneerselvam’s son, Jayapradeep, addressed the issue, alleging that supporters of the Edappadi faction were behind the additional nominations to sow confusion.
According to reports, the five candidates did not attend the nomination consideration process, with speculation suggesting they may be under pressure to withdraw their nominations due to potential threats to their safety. The situation remains tense as the election date approaches, with voters urged to remain vigilant and informed.
(with inputs from Tamil One India)
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