The three front leaders of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), S P Udayakumar (Kanyakumari), MP Jesuraj (Tirunelveli) and M Pushparayan (Thoothukudi), who have been fielded by the AAP in the three constituencies, came out of their areas and filed their nominations in the respective districts on the opening day on Saturday.
The Aam Aadmi Candidate for Kanyakumari Parliamentary constituency SP Udayakumar filed his papers with the district Collector-cum-Returning Officer S Nagarajan in Nagercoil.
Udayakumar who entered the district through Anjugramam on Kanyakumari-Tirunelveli border, who came by car, shifted to an open jeep and addressed the people. Then he motored to his house at Esankanvilai Mani Veedhi near Kottar and spent some time with his parents, father S Paramarthalingam and mother S Ponmony. Later he offered worship to his family deity at ‘Madan Thamburan temple’ and then went to the district Collectorate, where he filed nomination papers.
Tirunelveli AAP candidate MP Jesuraj, a priest, who filed his nomination with the Returning Officer and Tirunelveli District Collector M. Karunakaran on Saturday, said that he had sought the permission of Palayamkottai RC bishop to contest the election.
M P Jesuraj further said the Canon Law permitted priests to contest in election as it was for public good and claimed that there were precedents in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. When asked if he would contest the election if the church refuses its nod , the AAP candidate said let us wait for their decision. M Pushparayan, the AAP nominee for Thoothukudi segment, filed his papers with the election officer and Collector M Ravi Kumar here on Saturday. Earlier in the morning, Pushparayan started from Idinthakarai with his supporters and visited various fishermen hamlets en route to Thoothukudi. After reaching Thoothukudi, he offered special prayers at Our Lady of Snows Church and inaugurated the party office on Beach Road.
On the way to Collectorate, he garlanded statues of important leaders like Cruz Fernandez, Kamarajar and Muthuramalinga Thevar. AAP workers and his supporters followed him in more than 60 bikes and cars. There was a delay of more than an hour inside the Collector chamber when Pushparayan was filing his nomination. It was attributed to the inconsistency in the form provided by the EC.