Thoothukudi Lok Sabha elections 2024: The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu is all set to witness a three-way contest between the respective blocs headed by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which is in alliance with Congress, pitted against arch-rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and Tamil Maanila Congress-Moopanar this time.
DMK candidate Kanimozhi
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Kanimozhi, who is re-contesting the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha seat, filed her nomination for Lok Sabha elections on March 26. DMK Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi, who is contesting for the second time on behalf of the DMK in the Thoothukudi Parliamentary Constituency, submitted her nomination to Thoothukudi District Collector and returning officer Lakshmipathi.
Kanimozhi said that she was thankful to the party for giving her the opportunity to contest the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha elections again. She further said that people are giving a warm welcome to the I.N.D.I.A bloc wherever she travels in the constituency. She said that when the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had campaigned in Thoothukudi metropolitan area, people gave him a warm welcome. She also claimed that the chances of winning the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency are good.
DMK candidate declared assets worth Rs 57 crore
DMK MP Kanimozhi, who has been re-nominated by the party for April 19 Lok Sabha polls from this south Tamil Nadu constituency, has declared total assets of over Rs 57 crore. According to the election affidavit submitted by the DMK deputy general secretary, Kanimozhi's total liabilities stand at Rs 60,60,187.
Her movable assets are Rs 38,77,79,117 and she owns three cars, including a BMW XS, valued at a little over Rs 84.11 lakh, the affidavit stated. Her immovable assets, including residential property in Chennai, were valued at Rs 18,54,42,000. She has Rs 13,500 cash on hand.
Kanimozhi, daughter of former chief minister, the late M Karunanidhi, defeated BJP's Tamilisai Soundararajan by a massive margin of 3.47 lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. She is seeking another term from the segment. She had filed her nomination on Tuesday.
Kanimozhi submitted she has not been convicted in any criminal case. While a special CBI court in Delhi had acquitted her in December 2017 in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, the Delhi High Court had on March 22, 2024, admitted the central agency's plea for an appeal against her acquittal, she stated in the affidavit. She owed no dues to the government.
AIADMK candidate R Sivasamy Velumani
Thoothukudi AIADMK candidate R Sivasamy Velumani filed his nomination with the District Election Officer on March 25 in the presence of former AIADMK ministers SP Shanmuganathan, Kadambur C Raju, Chellapandian and other party cadres. As per the affidavit, Velumani, a Class 8 dropout and practitioner of natural medicine, owns movable and immovable properties worth Rs 23 crore and has two criminal cases pending against him.
Srivaikuntam native RS Velumani, who is known for curing bone fractures, is the managing director of Puttur Bone and Joint Centre Private Limited functioning in Chennai. As stated in his affidavit, Velumani owns Rs 2.27 crore worth of movable properties, including Rs 1.09 crore worth assets owned by his wife.
The couple's value of immovable properties is reckoned at Rs 20.80 crore, including properties worth Rs 7.55 crore. They jointly have liabilities to a tune of Rs 10.39 crore, while Velumani alone has to repay pending loans worth Rs 3.33 crore.Velumani, who is currently settled in Chennai under the Virugambakkam Assembly constituency, is also the area secretary of the party. He lives with his wife S Ananthi Prabha, who practices Siddha medicine, and four children.
When asked about dropping out from school, Velumani said that he had discontinued studies to support his grandfather in preparing traditional medicines. He added that there are six doctors, who hold a degree in Siddha Medicine and Surgery, employed at his vaithiyasalai to offer treatments.
TMC-M candidate SDR Vijayaseelan
Tamil Maanila Congress-Moopanar candidate SDR Vijayaseelan arrived on a bicycle to file his nomination for the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency with the Thothukudi district Returning Officer (RO) G. Lakshmipathy at the Collectorate on March 27. Vijayaseelan in his affidavit has noted that he possesses assets worth about Rs 80.95 crore, including both movable and immovable assets.
According to his affidavit, Vijayaseelan’s family has assets worth Rs 85.19 crore, including movable assets worth Rs 13 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 72.18 crore. He also has liabilities worth Rs 11.50 crore.
When voting will take place in Tamil Nadu?Voting for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in the first phase of the general elections on April 19.
2019 poll results
In the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, comprising the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, registered a landslide victory, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state.
In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with a 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with a 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won two seats in Tamil Nadu. The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4.
