Chennai, April 7 – TVK chief Vijay’s nomination for the Perambur and Tiruchirappalli Assembly constituencies for the April 23 elections was accepted after scrutiny on Tuesday, officials said.
The Returning Officer dismissed formal objections raised by members of Pattali Makkal Katchi in Perambur, who had demanded the rejection of the actor-turned-politician’s affidavit over allegations of unpaid property taxes.
Vijay is making his electoral debut by contesting in two Assembly constituencies.
The party was launched on February 2, 2024, and has been allotted the "whistle" symbol by the Election Commission.
Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is challenging the DMK-AIADMK dominance in state politics by contesting alone in 234 Assembly seats in the state.
Meanwhile, TVK candidate for Villivakkam, Aadhav Arjuna, said that his application, which was withheld in the morning for clarification, was cleared later in the day.
Speaking to reporters outside the election office here, Arjuna said that objections to his application were raised by DMK-affiliated lawyers, who alleged that he had concealed crucial details regarding his assets and corporate holdings.
Arjuna dismissed the allegations of asset concealment.
“The assets that are with me, that are in my name, only those must be shown in the accounts. The companies I have, some three or four companies, how many shares are there in it, I have registered that too. The companies of those in my family, everything has been registered. Only the companies where one is a shareholder need to be registered; there is no necessity to register all the companies where one is a director,” Arjuna said.
He clarified that he has fully disclosed his wealth, company shares, and the businesses owned by his family members, submitting all necessary financial accounts up to March 25.
“I have paid nearly Rs 20 crore to Rs 25 crore in taxes,” Arjuna stated.
The TVK candidate sharply criticised the conduct of the ruling party’s legal wing during the scrutiny process. He alleged that a group of 20 to 30 DMK lawyers gathered inside the Returning Officer’s room, attempting to disrupt the proceedings and intimidate officials.
Arjuna also highlighted that the nominations of TVK candidates are being successfully accepted in many constituencies, signaling the party’s readiness for the polls.
According to sources, among those being withheld for clarifications is also the application filed by senior politician and TVK candidate for Gobichettypalayam, K A Sengottaiyan.
Over 7,000 candidates, including a large number of independents, have filed their nomination papers.
After scrutiny on Tuesday (April 7), and withdrawal, if any, on April 9, the final list of candidates will be announced by the EC. While polling is scheduled for April 23, the counting of votes will be taken up on May 4.