ERODE: After deliberating for several hours since the deadline to withdraw nominations to contest in the Erode East bypoll ended at 3pm, returning officer Manish Narnaware rejected the nomination of independent candidate V Padmavati of Indian Political Congress Party well past midnight on Monday as other candidates pointed out that she belonged to Karnataka and her nomination would violate the EC norms.
Subsequently, the final list of 46 candidates with symbols was released on Tuesday morning. The symbol allocation process was halted on Monday evening following opposition to acceptance of Padmavathi’s papers. Officials engaged in continuous consultation and finally around 1.30 am on Tuesday, her nomination was rejected by the CRO. The final list of candidates with symbols was released at 3.30 am on Tuesday.
“Padmavathi’s nomination was rejected because as per EC norms, a voter who does not belong to a state cannot contest in elections to the Assembly of that state,” an officer said.
Meanwhile, B Senthil Murugan, who was removed from the deputy secretary of MGR youth wing of AIADMK, for defying the party’s stand of boycotting the election joined the DMK. He participated in campaigning along with the DMK functionaries.