TENKASI/TIRUNELVELI: With the Lok Sabha polls round the corner, Tenkasi Lok Sabha candidate of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Esai Mathivanan opted for an unconventional mode of transport and arrived on a bullock cart to file his nomination papers with District Election Officer AK Kamal Kishore at the district collectorate here on Tuesday.
Sources said, Mathivanan, who was accompanied by his party cadre, also held a spear on his hand, which he handed over to his party cadre ahead of filing the papers. As the Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to finalise a symbol for his party, Mathivanan installed banners on the bullock cart asking 'What is the symbol of Seeman (the party chief)?'.
As per his affidavit, Mathivanan owns assets worth Rs 3.88 lakh and has a debt of Rs 1.12 lakh. He also has nine cases pending against him at Sivagiri, Omalur, Edamalaipatti Puthur and Rajapalayam police stations, for charges including speaking in a public meeting after 10 pm, waylaying a mineral-laden truck, spreading rumours, staging protests without permission and protesting against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project. He also faces an inquiry by the National Investigation Agency.
Meanwhile, DMK's Tenkasi candidate Dr Rani Srikumar also filed her nomination with the returning officer. She was accompanied by Tenkasi Congress MLA S Palani Nadar and Sankarankovil DMK MLA E Raja while filing the papers. As per her affidavit, Rani, who served as a doctor in Sankarankovil government hospital, holds an asset value of Rs 2.13 crore.
Further, in Tirunelveli, NTK candidate P Sathya filed nomination with returning officer KP Karthikeyan. Apart from these candidates, independent candidates also filed nominations in both Tirunelveli and Tenkasi constituencies.