VIRUDHUNAGAR: Congress candidate and incumbent MP Manickam Tagore, DMDK’s Vijaya Prabhakaran and BJP candidate Raadhika Sarathkumar filed their nominations with District Returning Officer and Collector VP Jeyaseelan, for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, on Monday.
After filing the nomination on Monday afternoon, Tagore addressed media persons and highlighted that the 2024 Lok Sabha election has a significant role in protecting the country’s democracy. “This election is the last chance to save the country from the hands of fascism,” he said, adding that in the last 50 days, two sitting Chief Ministers were arrested and the Congress’ bank accounts were frozen.
“With the help of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the union government has been trying to threaten opposition leaders under the guise of false cases. Many other ministers and leaders throughout the country were also arrested,” Tagore said.
He also highlighted the union government’s delay in executing various projects for the Virudhunagar constituency, including the railway project and the construction of an AIIMS.
“Five years ago, I put forth demands to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government to take necessary measures to allow the export of firecrackers from the Thoothukudi harbour to promote the cracker business. I have raised the issue in the Parliament and have also written letters to Modi. However, they continue to betray Virudhunagar,” the MP said while claiming that all these issues would draw to an end if the INDIA bloc came to power.
In a sarcastic tone, Tagore also said he is proud of the fact that he is the only MP from Tamil Nadu who was suspended thrice for raising his voice against Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Responding to comments about his opponents from Virudhunagar, Tagore said people would cast their votes based on the candidate’s principles and not their profession.
Vijayaprabhakaran and Raadhika, who met face-to-face while they were at the collectorate to file their nominations, greeted each other.
Speaking to media persons, Raadhika said she has known Vijayaprabhakaran for long and as he was her daughter’s classmate, is like a son to her. Thanking the BJP for providing her an opportunity to contest in the poll, she said, “More than an actor, over the years people have seen me as a confident woman.”