NAGAPATTINAM: The Communist Party of India (CPI) emerged victorious in the Nagapattinam (SC) Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday with its candidate V Selvaraj winning by a margin of 2,08,957 votes, in his first general election.
Selvaraj secured 4,65,044 votes, defeating rival G Sursith Sankar of AIADMK, who received 2,56,087 votes. Out of the 9,73,773 votes polled in Nagapattinam, 9,64,093 votes were considered valid. As many as 4,887 postal votes were received and among them, 762 votes were rejected.
A total of 8,843 people voted for NOTA including 75 through postal votes. Selvaraj led the votes from the beginning to the end of 23 rounds. NTK’s M Karthika received 1,24,994 votes and finished as the second runner-up, whereas BJP’s SGM Ramesh secured 97,476 coming out as the third runner-up.
Nagapattinam constituency’s Returning Officer cum District Collector Johny Tom Varghese and General Observer B Bharathi Lakpathi Naik presented Selvaraj with the winning certificate. While addressing the press, Selvaraj thanked those who worked for his victory. Selvaraj said, “Nagapattinam constituency is at the tail end of Cauvery River’s course.
Farmers are facing various challenges. Fisherfolk are also in distress. I will voice their concerns at the Parliament.” V Selvaraj, CPI’s Tiruvarur district secretary was announced as the party’s candidate after the former MP M Selvaraj made way for him.
The ailing M Selvaraj joined his namesake in the campaign despite undergoing treatment, and passed away at a hospital in Chennai on May 13, at the age of 67. Earlier, he had contested and won several local body elections. Selvaraj, an MPhil graduate, hails from a family of farmers at Keezhanalanallur village in Tiruvarur district. This election was V Selvaraj’s first ticket to the general election in a political career spanning over four decades.