In Trichy district’s Thuraiyaur (SC) meeting section, AIADMK’s Saroja is dealing with three candidates with the identical title, whereas in Mannargudi there are as many as 4 candidates who share the title Kamarath.
In Coimbatore south, the place former DMK minister V. Senthil Balaji is contesting, 5 candidates named Senthil are within the race, one is an official candidate of TVK and the remaining are independents.
In Coimbatore district’s Thondamtur constituency, the place AIADMK veteran SP Velumani is contesting, along with the DMK’s official candidate N. Karthikeyan, three extra candidates named Karthikeyan are within the race.
Some leaders argue that working candidates with the identical final title is a deliberate tactic that would divide the vote.
“Such techniques aimed toward complicated the general public are frequent in any election. Though it’s unlikely to trigger any main detrimental influence, the similarity of sure symbols to these of main political events can definitely trigger important confusion,” a former AIADMK functionary, who requested anonymity, instructed ThePrint.
DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai instructed ThePrint that fielding a candidate with the identical title is a “determined step by a determined particular person”.
“Individuals know which social gathering they’re voting for as a result of political events in Tamil Nadu are well-known and their symbols are entrenched in folks’s minds,” Annadurai stated. “These techniques do not play an enormous position in elections and might solely work if the symbols will not be effectively acknowledged by folks, which isn’t the case within the states.”
Political observers say namesake candidates will not be unusual in Indian elections, the place they usually perform as spoilers or impartial candidates. Specialists say the presence of a number of candidates will confuse voters, however will not have a significant influence on the end result.
“Now we have seen this occurring in earlier elections as effectively. The names Vijay, Vignesh, Sampath and Parthiban are frequent within the state, however the presence of impartial candidates in a number of constituencies is elevating suspicions amongst TVK social gathering members,” stated political analyst Arun Kumar. “Whereas it does create some confusion, it doesn’t appear to have a significant influence on the election as social gathering symbols are clearly differentiated.”
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many joseph and vijay
The choice to contest in two constituencies, Perambur and Trichy East, has allowed Mr. Vijay to maintain his choices open amid discussions that Perambur’s nomination may very well be rejected.
On scrutiny of his nomination, issues took a dramatic flip with protests towards his nomination by members of Patali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
They claimed that the notary who signed the actor’s affidavit is at the moment unlicensed. Nonetheless, the returning police officer requested for paperwork to show this declare. The nomination was accepted at a later date as a result of different social gathering members have been unable to provide it.
In that debut election, Vijay’s social gathering goes solohas rejected the alliance proposal and positioned itself as a brand new various in a scenario that’s shaping up as a three-way battle that includes the ruling DMK-led alliance, the AIADMK and BJP alliance, and TVK.
What makes Perambur stand out isn’t solely that there are numerous folks with the identical title on this battle. This constituency additionally has the best variety of candidates amongst all 234 seats in Tamil Nadu.
Actor Vijay’s namesakes denied that their determination to oppose him was intentional. Ok. Vijay of AIJMK, one of many TVK chief’s rivals in Perambur, instructed ThePrint that there was no political motive.
“I’m the district secretary of our social gathering, which was based in 2017. I’ve not been given an emblem but and I’ve no intention of influencing or attempting to affect actor Vijay’s nomination. Now we have filed candidates in a number of constituencies,” he stated.
“There is no such thing as a political motive. I’ve been lively within the constituency for years. If folks assume that I used to be given a ticket as a result of my title is Vijay, that’s the case. I do not assume there will likely be any confusion as our symbols are completely different.”
One other candidate from Perambur constituency, Mr. M. Joseph, who’s contesting elections for the primary time, defended his nomination, saying he was working as an impartial and there was no political intention of some other social gathering behind his nomination.
“I’ve lived right here in Perambur since my childhood and all the time needed to do one thing for the Christian and Dalit group,” he instructed ThePrint. “Now we have interacted with all MLAs previously few elections and sought their help for the event of the group, however we have now felt that their help isn’t sufficient for us. I’ve by no means been affiliated with any political social gathering and my intention is barely to help the group.”
Two different candidates named Vijay from Perambur didn’t reply to calls from ThePrint.
TVK confirmed related circumstances with candidates with the identical title in different constituencies. Within the Chennai Harbour constituency, TVK candidate Shinola PS Ashok will face two impartial candidates with related names, Shinola S Ashok and Shinola Ashok Kumar.
In Coimbatore North, TVK candidate V. Sampath Kumar will battle towards three impartial candidates named Kumar: R. Sampath Kumar, S. Sampath Kumar and Ok. Sampath Kumar. Within the Coimbatore-Kavundampara constituency, social gathering candidate RD Kanimozhi Santosh is contesting towards impartial candidate Ok. Kanimozhi.
In the meantime, TVK candidate Kinathukadavu Ok. Vignesh from Coimbatore will likely be dealing with three impartial candidates with related names – V. Vignesh, S. Vignesh and C. Vignesh Prabhu. In South Salem too, TVK’s Parthiban candidate is dealing with two impartial candidates, A. Parthiban and V. Parthiban.
TVK treasurer P. Venkatraman instructed ThePrint that fielding candidates with the identical title is a technique that political events have adopted for years. “But it surely won’t have an effect on the end result of the election because the symbols and images of the candidates are additionally displayed now. Apart from, nobody goes to mimic actor Vijay,” he stated.
(Edited by Katyal Sugita)
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